Video Visits for Rural Older Veterans in Tele-Geriatric Mental Health Services
Author Information
Author(s): Gould Christine, Carlson Chalise, Humber Marika, Peeples Amanda, Burningham Zachary, Trivedi Ranak
Primary Institution: VA Palo Alto Healthcare System
Hypothesis
Telehealth services can improve access to mental health care for rural older veterans.
Conclusion
Video telehealth services can successfully increase access to geriatric mental health care for older rural veterans despite some technology-related barriers.
Supporting Evidence
- 351 rural veterans received services from geriatric mental health providers.
- 49% of encounters were video to home, indicating a preference for video services.
- Barriers included lack of home internet and devices, which were addressed through VHA resources.
Takeaway
This study shows that older veterans in rural areas can get mental health help through video calls, even if they face some tech problems.
Methodology
A mixed methods approach was used to examine video telehealth services provided to rural veterans.
Limitations
Barriers included lack of internet access and technology issues.
Participant Demographics
Participants were mostly white (88.6%) and male (95.4%) with a mean age of 75.1 years.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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