By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    learn to recognize and treat yeast infections
    Most Commonly Asked Questions About Yeast Infections
    November 17, 2021
    Advanced lung cancer diagnosis systems used by doctors
    Advanced Lung Cancer Diagnosis Systems Used by Doctors
    March 6, 2022
    The Top Benefits of a Wearable Blood Pressure Monitor Watch
    The Top Benefits of a Wearable Blood Pressure Monitor Watch
    June 13, 2022
    Latest News
    7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
    August 20, 2025
    Hospital Pest Control and the Fight Against Superbugs
    August 20, 2025
    Hygiene Beyond The Clinic: Attention To Overlooked Non-Clinical Spaces
    August 13, 2025
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    August 3, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Life Expectancies and Lethal Injections
    May 6, 2015
    The Future of Healthcare and Big Pharma is in Big Data Analytics
    February 5, 2021
    Financial Assistance for Clinical Trials
    September 16, 2015
    Latest News
    How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
    August 22, 2025
    How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
    August 22, 2025
    How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
    August 22, 2025
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Veterans and mHealth: A Sensible Patient Engagement Strategy
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > Health Reform > Veterans and mHealth: A Sensible Patient Engagement Strategy
eHealthHealth ReformHospital AdministrationMedical EthicsMedical RecordsMobile HealthNewsPolicy & LawPublic HealthTechnologyWellness

Veterans and mHealth: A Sensible Patient Engagement Strategy

Bill Crounse
Bill Crounse
Share
4 Min Read
SHARE

The US Department of Veterans Affairs has been taking it on the chin of late with allegations (and proof) of delayed appointments and care at some facilities, and charges that these delays have led to poor outcomes and even death. From what I can tell, most of the serious delays in treatment are more a symptom of bad management and strained capacity in VA facilities than poor technology and substandard care provided by clinicians.

The US Department of Veterans Affairs has been taking it on the chin of late with allegations (and proof) of delayed appointments and care at some facilities, and charges that these delays have led to poor outcomes and even death. From what I can tell, most of the serious delays in treatment are more a symptom of bad management and strained capacity in VA facilities than poor technology and substandard care provided by clinicians. In fact, in recent years the VA has been highly acclaimed for its use of electronic records and excellent quality of care. That’s why I was pleased to see some positive news reported in mHealthNews regarding steps the VA is taking to better connect the nation’s veterans with their health information.

imageThe VA plans to release mobile versions of two popular desktop applications that provide access to veterans’ medical records. Mobile versions of the Summary of Care desktop application and the Blue Button application will soon be available in the VA’s app store. mHealthNews reports that several more apps are expected to be released as the department “fast-tracks its mHealth efforts”.

That the VA is leading a charge in mHealth isn’t surprising. Think for a moment about the changing demographics of veterans who use VA facilities for their care. The large numbers of men and women entering the VA system after serving their country in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other trouble-spots around the world are a generation of digital natives. If you want to connect with them and engage them in managing their health, there’s no better way to do that than via a mobile device which is most commonly their smartphone.

More Read

are electrolyte packets healthy
What You Should Know About Using Electrolyte Packets
Twitter Community #BCSM Expands Online To Broaden Patient Engagement
Prostate Surgery – Spare The Knife, Keep The Rod
The Developmental Necessity Of Free Play For Children
Guarding Your Health – 6 Essential PPE Investments for the New Home Health Worker

I’ve written extensively on ways to improve health information exchange and the importance of putting patients at the center. Whether that means aggregating health data in a secure, cloud-based service under the patient’s control, or storing it “locally” on a personal device, either method puts patients in control of their health data and enables a patient-centered vehicle for global health information exchange.

Considering the changing demographics of the VA population, I wasn’t surprised to read that some VA doctors are reporting 25 percent of patients under their care now storing and managing health information on a mobile device. As also reported by mHealthNews, some of the telehealth pilots run by the VA have helped reduce veterans’ hospital stays by 58 percent and cut medical costs around $2000 per patient. In a system that has been suffering from both cost and capacity constraints, one can be hopeful about technologies that help the VA extend their reach beyond traditional care facilities and better meet veterans’ needs for health information and medical services. Although mHealth or telehealth deployments won’t address every need, I must applaud the VA for thinking out of the box and taking a lead in the use of creative strategies to provide better health services to a most deserving population.

TAGGED:patient engagementveteran careVeterans Health Administration
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

engineer fitting prosthetic arm
How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
Health care
August 20, 2025
a woman explaining the document
How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
Public Health
August 20, 2025
physiotherapist at work
How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
Health care
August 20, 2025
Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs
7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
Health News
August 20, 2025

You Might also Like

Are Collaborative Care Planning Teams and Technology the Key to Reducing Readmissions?

March 18, 2012
hospital social media
eHealthHospital Administration

Hospital Facebook LIKES Reflect Patient Satisfaction and Lower Mortality Rates

March 21, 2013
BusinessFinanceHospital Administration

Improving Patient Satisfaction: What’s Holding Doctors Back?

June 3, 2012
hospital marketing
BusinesseHealthFinanceHospital Administration

Hospitals Shift More Digital Dollars to Influencing Physicians

May 22, 2013
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?