aSenior Policy Analyst, Veterans Healthcare Policy Institute
bPresident-Elect, Association of VA Psychologist Leaders
Author disclosures
The authors report no actual or potential conflicts of interest or outside sources of funding with regard to this article. Dr. McCarthy is employed by the US Department of Veterans Affairs.
Disclaimer
The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of Federal Practitioner, Frontline Medical Communications Inc., the US Government, or any of its agencies.
References
Telehealth has been shown to be as clinically effective as in-person care . A recent review of 38 meta-analyses covering telehealth with 10 medical disciplines found that for all disciplines, telehealth was as effective, if not more so, than conventional care. 8 And because the likelihood of not showing up for telehealth appointments is lower than for in-person appointments, continuity of care is uninterrupted, and health care outcomes are improved.
Telehealth is health care. The VA must end the double standard that has handicapped it from including telehealth availability in determinations of eligibility for community care. The VA has voiced its intention to seek stakeholder input before implementing its proposed correction. The change is long overdue. It will save the VA a billion dollars annually while ensuring that veterans have quicker access to better treatment.
