Telehealth, a rapidly growing facet of the healthcare industry, offers promising enhancements for health service access, especially in underserved communities. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has embarked on utilizing a hub-and-spoke telehealth delivery model to bolster primary care access for veterans. This model capitalizes on centralized resources in regional hubs to deliver services through telehealth to local spoke clinics. The initiative aims to improve healthcare delivery efficiency and accessibility, yet its financial implications remain under scrutiny.
Analysis of Healthcare Utilization and Spending
The VA’s Clinical Resource Hub for Primary Care (CRH-PC) rolls out an innovative healthcare delivery model, a hub-and-spoke approach aimed at bridging service gaps. Researchers employed adjusted difference-in-difference and event study methods to scrutinize healthcare consumption and financial costs linked with CRH-PC from the fiscal years 2018 to 2021. A detailed comparison of patients who engaged with the CRH-PC program against those who didn’t unveiled intriguing dynamics on both program and nonprogram sites.
Demographics and Service Uptake
Out of 1,546,892 patients at CRH-PC sites, approximately 64,973 individuals, representing 4% of the cohort, utilized CRH-PC services. The data indicated a higher likelihood of service utilization among rural and African-American veterans, and those with multiple health issues. Although these patients showcased a significant 18% rise in primary care visits, no considerable financial variance was detected between program venues and nonprogram counterparts, except an inclination for video consultations over physical interactions.
– Enhanced rural and African-American patient engagement with telehealth services.
– Increased primary care visits by 18% for program users.
– Substitution of in-person visits with video-based care at program sites.
This study brings valuable insights into telehealth’s effects on VA’s delivery model. By augmenting primary care visits among participants without inflating overall clinic costs, the findings reveal potential telehealth efficiencies. Yet, only 4% had direct program involvement. This raises questions about broader adoption sustainability and scalability. As healthcare systems proliferate telehealth expansions, it’s crucial to evaluate both patient outcomes and financial metrics continually. Clinics can amplify service reach by embracing telehealth for high-need populations. However, decision-makers need to carefully balance broad service delivery with fiscal responsibilities to optimize care effectively. This intricate balancing act, when managed astutely, can potentially rewrite healthcare delivery landscapes for underserved veteran populations.
This article has been prepared with the assistance of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more details, please refer to our Terms and Conditions. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author.
