The VA is doing more telehealth than any other organization in the country, and perhaps in the world", said Dr. Adam W. Darkins, Chief Consultant for the VA Care Coordination Home Telehealth (CCHT) program. CCHT programs are targeted at two to three percent of patients who account for 30 percent of the costs and reduce hospital admissions and the number of emergency room visits by one-third.

In 2003, there were 1,700 patients enrolled in CCHT programs in five Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISN). Patient enrollment has skyrocketed in the span of three years. Today, there are 22,180 patients enrolled in 21 VISNs. So far, the VA has spent $20 million to install some 20,000 monitors across the country and expects to have 50,000 in place by 2009.

Telehealth is working well for the majority of the 200 patients currently enrolled in the CCHT program at the VA San Diego Healthcare System. According to Dr. John Chardos, Telehealth Director for the San Diego VA Center, "telehealth only works well if the patient is willing to put the time into monitoring and managing their diseases and report regularly to their coordinator. It takes a commitment on the part of the patient." He has had some patients drop out of the program because of their unwillingness to make the time commitment to monitor their health each day.

Reyes Fernandez, a 60 year old Vietnam veteran living in a small California community 130 miles from the VA facility in San Diego, is enrolled in the CCHT program. He is diabetic and suffers from PTSD, but he is happy that his glucose level and blood pressure are monitored daily by his care coordinator who also looks at the responses he sends out over his messaging devices.

(Source: Federal Telemedicine News, January 12, 2007)