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Video Telehealth Clinic Provides Convenient and Cost-Effective Care for Veterans with Cancer

According to recent US census data, there are currently 18 million veterans living in the United States, and approximately 50% of these individuals are aged >65 years.1 In addition, the Veterans Affairs Central Cancer Registry reports that approximately 50,000 new cancer cases are reported each year among veterans.2 Many of these individuals, who live in remote locations, have significant mobility issues or are hesitant to travel to the nearest hospital for treatment. Recently, the Department of Veterans Affairs launched a novel program using telemedicine to overcome these obstacles and improve the quality of care for veterans with cancer.

Telemedicine, the remote delivery of healthcare services using technology, such as 2-way video, e-mail, smartphones, and other forms of electronic communication designed to improve patient health outcomes, can be a cost-effective and convenient alternative to more traditional episodic face-to-face encounters for many patients. Telemedicine began in rural areas to address a lack of access to primary care providers but has since expanded into a variety of specialties and subspecialties across multiple settings, including oncology. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA), which has made significant strides in telehealth adoption over the past several years,3 is now using this technology in the country’s first remote chemotherapy clinic.

The video telehealth clinic, which was launched in 2018, links the James E. Van Zandt VA Medical Center in Altoona, PA, with the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, some 100 miles away.4 The clinic allows veterans from central Pennsylvania to receive their anticancer therapy at the center in Altoona, where the pharmacy, nursing, telehealth, and supportive staff are on site. During scheduled appointments, the trained staff in Altoona uses state-of-the-art tools, such as the TotalExam 3 camera, to send images and live video to the patient’s oncology team at the Pittsburgh VA facility.5

According to Vida A. Passero, MD, MBA, Division Chief, Hematology/Oncology, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, PA, the integration of this clinic has helped patients to maintain primary relationships with their oncologists in a cost-effective and convenient way.

“Patients and caregivers tell me, ‘We love this technology because it saves us so much travel, time, and money,’” she said.

In 2018, VISN 4 recognized the program with an I CARE Award, and the team recently received commendations from Robert Wilkie, Veterans Affairs Secretary, and Richard A. Stone, MD, VHA Executive in Charge.

Dr Passero says the program, which she calls “the next frontier” in cancer care, has caught the attention of other healthcare providers and VA clinics, and she and her team are working to get this model of care started in other locations.

“We were able to get this project, which was thought to be impossible, off the ground,” said Dr Passero. “Since then, people in the private sector have been asking, ‘How did you do this?’ It just shows how the VA can be innovative.”


References

  1. US Census Bureau. Veterans Day 2019: Nov. 11. www.census.gov/newsroom/facts-for-features/2019/veterans-day.html. Accessed February 23, 2020.
  2. Zullig LL, Sims KJ, McNeil R, et al. Cancer incidence among patients of the U.S. VeteransAffairs Health Care System: 2010 update. Mil Med. 2017;182:e1883-e1891.
  3. Department of VA Affairs Fact Sheet. VA Telehealth Services. www.va.gov/COMMUNITYCARE/docs/news/VA_Telehealth_Services.pdf. Accessed February 23, 2020.
  4. Wicklund E. VA’s telehealth clinic for cancer care is the first in the nation. January 3, 2020. https://mhealthintelligence.com/news/vas-telehealth-clinic-for-cancer-care-is-the-first-in-the-nation. Accessed February 24, 2020.
  5. Lutes T. VA oncology team pioneering remote chemotherapy treatment. January 2, 2020. www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/69801/va-oncology-team-pioneering-remote-chemotherapy-treatment/. Accessed February 24, 2020.

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