VA Central Western Massachusetts Healthcare System

Telehealth Equipment

Every day, hundreds of Veterans in central and western Massachusetts record their weight, pulse and blood pressure and send the information to a care coordinator at the Northampton VA medical center.  Chronic diseases can be managed before symptoms are exacerbated into a hospital admission or urgent care visit.

Maryann Carnes, the Community Care Home Telehealth Coordinator for VA Central Western Massachusetts Healthcare System, and Joy Sprott, RN, monitor and record the information from their VA offices and flag all problems that need immediate attention.

This is Telehealth in the 21st Century and this is where technological advances have allowed VA to provide medical care to veterans in almost any location.

"It's a very exciting time for Telehealth" says Carnes, RN, MSN.   "Our goal is to reduce visits to Primary Care and urgent care and to ultimately keep our Veteran patients out of the hospital while providing them the independence they seek and the connection to the programs and services they want."

Telehealth refers to the use of devices and communications networks to deliver health care or health information to or receive medical information from patients. About 200 Veterans use the Home Telehealth program.

November is Home Telehealth month at VA CWM and Carnes wants more people to know about the great benefits of the program.

From Northampton, Carnes works with Veterans from throughout the region in managing their diet, and assessing complications from chronic diseases such as diabetes or heart disease, and can monitor glucose levels.

The program uses a Health Buddy device in a Veteran's home.  In the case of diabetes, for example, the Veteran answers questions daily and sends his or her glucose levels to Carnes, who is also a Certified Diabetes Educator.

"With the use of the technology at home, Veterans are able to manage their health and can rely on us at the medical center for support whenever they need it," says Carnes.

The Veterans, Carnes says, appreciate that they do not have to travel to the Medical Center as often as they may have before they entered the Home Telehealth program.  If a problem arises, a Veteran can be contacted by telephone, and their medications adjusted, or if necessary, they can be asked to come in. The idea is to intervene earlier before it becomes a crisis.

Perhaps the greatest benefit of the Home Telehealth program, Carnes said, however, is that it allows older patients with chronic conditions to live at home independently for a longer time. And the patients indicate that they like it, too.

According to data compiled by VA New England Healthcare System, 93 percent of VA CWM HCS home telehealth patients report they would recommend Home Telehealth monitoring and care to their family or friends with chronic medical conditions.  Other VA New England data indicates:

* 62 percent of VA CWM HCS diabetic patients monitored daily through Home Telehealth have decreased their glycated hemoglobins or A1C
* 89 percent of patients have reduced their lipoproteins or LDL
* 70 percent of patients have reduced their blood pressure

VA is the national leader in Telehealth, Carnes said, and is expanding the program as word has spread of its good results, such as reductions in hospital admissions and shorter hospital stays.  Ultimately, Telehealth also results in lower costs.

Who is Eligible?

Veterans who have chronic conditions, including, but not limited to: congestive heart failure (CHF), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension (HTN), and other conditions where technology and care coordination could improve the veteran's life.

If the veteran receives palliative care services because of a terminal illness or wants to lose weight or has a wound that requires close monitoring, Telehealth care and technology offers veterans the support they need to succeed from home.  And there are numerous circumstances through which the use of Telehealth technology can improve veterans' quality of life.

Veterans seeking Telehealth...

Applying for Telehealth is easy.  Interested veterans can speak with their VA primary care provider for a referral to the Telehealth program or they can call Maryann Carnes at (413) 584-4040, extension 2242.