Telehealth Services in the United States Department of Veterans Affairs

In June 2014, the VA’s Chief Consultant for Telehealth Services Adam Darkins presented details about the VA telehealth program in “ Telehealth Services in the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.” Annual healthcare costs for veterans treated via telehealth between 2009 and 2012 fell by 4% one year after starting use of the programs. In fiscal year 2013, VA-specific telehealth applications provided care from 151 VA Medical Centers (VAMCs) and over 705 Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) to 608,900 patients. There were nearly 1.8 million telehealth episodes of care. About 45% of the patients lived in rural . . .