Veterans and treatment teams at the Veterans Health Administration’s Palo Alto Health Care system are piloting a new technological tool to help treat the effects of PTSD and TBI. For the past year, veterans have been using an interactive mobile health system called “IntelaCare”.
The technology provides instant and secure access to everything from appointment reminders and health diaries to video conferencing and individualized electronic medical records via the VA’s Blue Button system. Palo Alto is the only VA facility to pilot this new initiative that is part of the Veteran Health Administration’s Innovation Initiative (VAI2).
“This has been a revolutionary process,” said Julianna Brooks, VA Palo Alto Health Care System’s Director of the Polytrauma Network Site. “The management and rehabilitation of veterans with PTSD and TBI often involves many different facets. This can be further complicated when you have other diseases, since trying to remember and understand the doctor’s treatment plan may be difficult.”
According to June Moss, Iraq veteran, “The IntelaCare health diary allows me to save videos with notes on my symptoms, right when they are happening. Also with secure messaging, I can work with my doctor instantly without having to wait for my next appointment.”
In another technological development, veterans at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston, are using a new telehealth technology called “Telesleep” to treat veterans in rural areas who are suffering from sleep-related breathing disorders.
Obstructive sleep apnea is one of the most common types of sleep disorders. It occurs when the upper airway becomes narrow as the upper airway muscles naturally relax during sleep. It has been found that only home sleep testing or a study conducted in a sleep laboratory can show definitely that sleep apnea is present and determine the severity.
Veterans that are identified by their primary care physicians as candidates for a sleep study are then scheduled to go to a group diagnostic session at their nearest VA clinic. The sleep telehealth program uses video conferencing to connect with a sleep physician and a health technician at the Houston medical center,
After the diagnostic session concludes, each veteran is given a home sleep testing kit and trained on how to properly use it. Later, the veteran returns the device where the data is extracted and sent to a sleep physician for evaluation and diagnosis. Once the physician makes a diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea, the veteran than receives the Positive Airway Pressure machine to use at home.