Tele-emergency care (tele-EC) is now available nationwide, a step that increases timely access to virtual emergency care options for veterans enrolled in Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare, according to a statement from the VA.1
This expansion of care—piloted in recent months—has already shown promise for veterans, helping more than 61,182 callers with a 59.4% case resolution rate, meaning veterans’ needs were resolved without having to travel from their homes to urgent care or an emergency department.
Tele-EC is a part of VA Health Connect, a phone service that veterans can call nationwide. Veterans who contact VA Health Connect speak to a clinical triage nurse, who connects them to tele-EC when clinically appropriate. Tele-EC providers will then evaluate the veteran over the phone or on video and recommend treatment or follow-up, including if in-person care is needed. In life-threatening emergencies, the clinical triage nurse will call 911 and stay on the line until help arrives.
Veterans enrolled in VA healthcare can now access tele-EC nationwide by calling VA Health Connect, and through the VA Health Chat app.
“Veterans can now be evaluated for possible emergencies from the comfort of their home,” VA Under Secretary for Health Shereef Elnahal, MD, said in the statement. “Sometimes, you’re not sure whether what you’re experiencing is a minor emergency or not — and tele-emergency care can help you resolve those questions. Veterans can get immediate, virtual triage with a VA medical provider who has direct access to their medical records. This avoids having to potentially drive to the nearest emergency department and wait to be evaluated, if appropriate.”
Through VA’s tele-EC, veterans now have increased and quicker access to timely emergency care from VA clinicians, helping them get the right care, at the right time, from the right place. While tele-EC does not replace the need for in-person emergency evaluation, for veterans in rural areas or those with mobility and transportation challenges, in-person immediate care can be difficult to access. VA’s tele-EC helps bridge this gap through quick, virtual triage assessments.
Reference
- Veterans Affairs. VA makes tele-emergency care available nationwide, offering veterans more virtual care options. Press release. September 26, 2024. Accessed October 21, 2024. https://news.va.gov/press-room/va-makes-tele-emergency-care-available-nationwide-offering-veterans-more-virtual-care-options/