VA MAKES TELE-EMERGENCY CARE AVAILABLE NATIONWIDE
WASHINGTON — The VA announced that tele-emergency care (tele-EC) is now available nationwide, a step that increases timely access to virtual emergency care options for Vets enrolled in VA health care. The expansion of care has already shown promise for Vets, helping more than 61,182 callers, a 59.4% case resolution rate (meaning not having to travel from homes to urgent care or ER).
Tele-EC is a part of VA Health Connect, a phone service that Vets can call nationwide. Vets will speak to a clinical triage nurse, who will connect them to tele-EC when clinically appropriate. Tele-EC providers will then evaluate the Vet over the phone or on video & recommend treatment or follow-up, including if in-person care is needed. In life-threatening emergencies, the clinical triage nurse will call 911 & stay on the line until help arrives. Vets experiencing a life-threatening emergency should immediately contact 911, NOT tele-EC.
This is part of VA & the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to expand access to timely, world-class care for Vets. Vets enrolled in VA health care can now access tele-EC nationwide by calling VA Health Connect, & through the VA Health Chat app.
“Vets can now be evaluated from the comfort of their home,” said VA Under Secretary, Health Shereef Elnahal, MD “Sometimes, you’re not sure whether you’re experiencing is a minor emergency or not — & tele-EC can help resolve those questions. Vets can get immediate, virtual triage with a VA medical provider who has direct access to their records. This avoids having to potentially drive to the nearest emergency department & wait to be evaluated.”
Through VA’s tele-emergency care, Vets now have increased & 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 Vets in rural areas or those with mobility & transportation challenges, in-person immediate care can be difficult to access. VA’s tele-EC helps bridge this gap through quick, virtual triage assessments.
VA continues to increase Vets’ access through initiatives like tele-EC, access sprints, and by designing and implementing more virtual care options. Since Pres Biden signed the PACT Act, VA is delivering more care to more Vets than ever before. Nearly 740,000 Vets have enrolled in VA health care in the past 2 years.
Vets’ trust in VA is at an all-time high, with outpatient health care trust scores reaching 91.8% in the latest VA Trust Report. For the 2d consecutive year, VA outperformed non-VA hospitals in a major independent, nationwide review of care quality, with the majority of VA facilities receiving 4- and 5-star ratings. At the same time, 79% of VA facilities received 4- or 5-star ratings for patient satisfaction — the 9th consecutive qtr VA facilities outperformed non-VA counterparts in the independent review.
