Telehealth Improves Access to Health, says VA Study

Stephen Tweed | February 5, 2009 | Newsroom
By Stephen TweedOne of the areas of technology that I talk about in my future trends presentations is telehealth. Many of our home health agency client around the country are getting measurable results from their telehealth programs. The biggest outcomes improvements are in the areas of reduced acute care hospitalization and unplanned urgent care for…

By Stephen Tweed

One of the areas of technology that I talk about in my future trends presentations is telehealth. Many of our home health agency client around the country are getting measurable results from their telehealth programs. The biggest outcomes improvements are in the areas of reduced acute care hospitalization and unplanned urgent care for CHF and COPD patients. Today, I received a news release about a study conducted by the Veterans Administration showing the reults of their telehealth program.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5 — Veterans with chronic conditions can manage their health and avoid hospitalization by using special technology provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in their homes, according to a recent study.

“The study showed that home telehealth makes health care more effective because it improves patients’ access to care and is easy to use,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. “A real plus is that this approach to care can be sustained because it’s so cost-effective and more veteran-centric. Patients in rural areas are increasingly finding that telehealth improves their access to health care and promotes their ongoing relationship with our health care system.”

The study found a 25 percent reduction in the average number of days hospitalized and a 19 percent reduction in hospitalizations for patients using home telehealth. A’s home telehealth program cares for 35,000 patients and is the largest of its kind in the world. The study looked at health outcomes from 17,025 VA home telehealth patients.

Are you using telehealth in your home health agency? Tell us about your results in the comments section below

Stephen Tweed
Stephen Tweed is among the top Thought Leaders in Home Care today. As an industry researcher, author, and executive coach, he has worked with owners and CEOs of companies in the top 5% of Home Care and is a frequent speaker at Home Care association conferences and corporate meetings across the US and Canada.

Related Posts

Learning from Your Company History

March 27, 2025
Earlier this week, I put up a post in my LinkedIn Group about the power of having a five-year vision. One of the lessons we have learned from our Home Care CEO Forum Mastermind Groups is that Home Care leaders in the top tier of our industry are visionary thinkers, and they have a huge vision for their companies.I…

Where Passion Meets Talent

March 20, 2025
I've been thinking about Where Passion Meets Talent.I was in Kutztown Pennsylvania this past week attending the opening of an art show for my granddaughter, Ainsley Tweed. She is graduating from Kutztown University of PA with a degree in art, and this was the grand opening of her senior art show.Ainsley loves cats. And her art talent…

Building a High Performance Home Care Team

March 6, 2025
I've been thinking about The Characteristics of a High Performance Team.I was in a conversation with a professional colleague this week, and we were talking about building high performance teams. She talked about the metaphor between sports teams and health care teams, and asked the question ..."Does the sports team truly capture the complexity of…