news Easy access to virtual appointments, prescription refills are behind rising demand for online VA health care

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WASHINGTON — Army veteran Andy Butzler said he prefers to attend medical appointments at the Department of Veterans Affairs via online conference calls rather than drive an hour from his home in Osceola, Wis., to the regional veterans clinic.
“I don’t have to take time off from work in order to drive an hour each way for a doctor’s appointment,” said Butzler, a veterans’ service officer for the Polk County government in northwest Wisconsin.
Butzler, 41, a former paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division, said he uses his smartphone instead to book appointments online, see clinicians via telehealth and refill prescriptions.
Veterans using the Rx Refill app ordered an average of 190,000 prescription refills per month in 2023, up from 106,000 in 2021.
“Telehealth works for most any of my doctor visits that don’t require an in-person physical exam,’’ Butzler said.
More than 770,000 veterans in rural areas had more than 2 million telehealth visits in 2023 in their home or at a designated site in their community, the VA said.
More than 1 million veterans received mental health counseling sessions online in fiscal 2023, a 5% increase from the prior year.
The VA is in the process of redesigning and updating essential veteran services offered through its website VA.gov. The goal is to enable veterans to access essential VA services — health care, claims and benefits — all in one place.
Once the update is complete, veterans will be able to log on at VA.gov to access most health services, view medical records and track their benefits.
Read more at: https://www.stripes.com/veterans/20...lth-prescriptions-doctor-visits-12918667.html
 

Finestal

Member
Virtual teleconference mental health services could potentially simplify treatment for veterans.

I'm slightly worried, though, about the lack of in-person interaction since psychologists/psychiatrists often perceive beyond their patients' spoken words, which might not be as visible through a webcam.

Ultimately, only time will reveal its true effectiveness.
 
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