According to the fall issue of “TATRC Times www.tatrc.org, the Army’s Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC) in their Mobile Health Innovation Center (mHIC) lab was awarded a multi-year grant for a pilot project titled “Telehealth 2.0”.
This research project is a collaboration between TATRC’s mHIC lab, National Center for Telehealth and Technology (T2) http://t2health.dcoe.mil, and the Behavioral Health Clinic at Fort Hood Texas www.crdamc.amedd.army.mil.
This project will demonstrate how behavioral health providers can provide seamless continuity of care to existing active duty service members. Providers will use desktop VTC software in their offices to connect with their patients. The patients will connect with their providers by using teleconferencing features on their personal mobile device.
The next generation of the Secure Internet Protocol (SIP) based VTC technologies to be used are not yet deployed across the Defense Health Agency (DHA). However, the DHA Health IT office has offered their support to this pilot effort and is working closely with the TATRC mHIC team to establish the SIP-based VTC technology infrastructure.
In addition, a Sources Sought Announcement posted December 1, 2016 titled “Telehealth 2.0 Research Support Services” appeared in www.fbo.gov. The program seeks information under the Small Business Program from firms that are available to provide research support services for the project to take place at the Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center at Fort Hood in Texas.
One of the services sought listed in the announcement would be to conduct an open pilot of mHealth technology for the Telehealth 2.0 research project. The pilot is needed since the number of behavioral health providers is limited which is causing unique challenges for behavioral healthcare in the deployed environment.