VA Provides Health Care Via Smartphones

Most U.S. veterans live as much as 90 minutes away from the nearest health care facility. The Department of Veterans Affairs has expanded its 20-year-old telemedicine program to make it even easier for veterans to get the care they need; now they can call in to an appointment via smartphone from any location. Nearly a quarter of all video telehealth visits in FY 2019 happened through a mobile device, and the number is rising. 

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• John Peters, Deputy Director, VA Telehealth Services
• Ted Koch, social worker and virtual care lead, Veterans Integrated Service Network 5
• Paul Valentine, U.S. Army 1982-1991, Upper Marlboro, Md.

• The Department of Veterans Affairs' video telehealth program has expanded to include appointments conducted over mobile devices.
• More than 300,000 veterans have taken advantage of the new technology as of the end of FY 2019.
• The program provides flexibility for both patients and doctors, who can also use smartphones to work outside the office.