Rural Veterans Have Fewer ED Visits, More Psychotherapy with VA Tablets

Modern Healthcare: Rural Veterans Have Fewer ED Visits, More Psychotherapy with VA Tablets

According to a study published in the Journal of American Medical Association, rural veterans who received tablets from the Department of Veterans Affairs had more telehealth psychotherapy appointments and fewer suicide-related emergency department visits. Researchers tracked more than 13,000 veterans with a mental health history over the first year of the pandemic, after receiving a broadband- and video-enabled tablet from the VA. The tablets enabled veterans to receive more mental health care than they normally would have, and they had a lower likelihood of having an emergency department visit for any reason, according to the study. Researchers concluded that other health systems could undertake similar projects for their rural patients to increase access to mental health care and prevent suicides.