Making connections: nationwide implementation of video telehealth tablets to address access barriers in veterans.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Video telehealth technology has the potential to enhance access for patients with clinical, social, and geographic barriers to care. We evaluated the implementation of a US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) initiative to distribute tablets to high-need Veterans with access barriers.

Methods

In this mixed methods implementation study, we examined tablet adoption (ie, facility-level tablet distribution rates and patient-level tablet utilization rates) and reach (ie, sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of tablet recipients) between 5/1/16 and 9/30/17. Concurrently, we surveyed 68 facility telehealth coordinators to determine the most common implementation barriers and facilitators, and then conducted interviews with telehealth coordinators and regional le

SUBMITTER: Zulman DM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6952023 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature