Dr. Kevin Galpin, executive director of telehealth services with the Department of Veterans Affairs, spoke with FedTech magazine about VA’s vision for telehealth beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, the integration and standardization of emerging technologies, and overcoming the digital divide.
Federal agencies and care providers are seeing better health outcomes thanks to digital technologies that connect them with patients virtually. Remote patient monitoring and video and asynchronous telehealth solutions are expanding access to healthcare, particularly in rural areas. Providers must adapt or fall behind.
Patients expect a top-notch customer experience from the federal agencies and health providers administering their care. The efficiency and convenience of telehealth technologies meet that expectation. From videoconferencing to remote patient monitoring, providers have a host of options to choose from.
About 65 percent of primary care and mental health care providers were able to offer video visits before the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw federal agencies rapidly transition to cloud-based services to meet increased telehealth demands.
Now, health leaders want to ensure their agencies don’t backslide, which requires continuing to integrate new digital technologies and closing the digital divide that still limits who can use telehealth services, particularly in rural areas.