skip to page content
Talk to the Veterans Crisis Line now
U.S. flag
An official website of the United States government

VA Health Systems Research

Go to the VA ORD website
Go to the QUERI website
Publication Briefs

Study Shows Patient Satisfaction with VA Virtual Care Delivered by Video-Enabled Tablet


BACKGROUND:
The expansion of virtual healthcare services includes the use of video visits with patients via mobile or web-based applications. In 2016, VA's Offices of Rural Health and Connected Care developed a pilot initiative to distribute video-enabled tablets to Veterans who did not have the necessary technology and who had a geographic, clinical, or social barrier to in-person healthcare. During this pilot, 5,000 tablets were distributed to 6,745 patients at 86 VA facilities, with approximately half of the tablet recipients living in rural areas. Tablets were predominantly used for mental healthcare, but also for spinal cord injury care, primary care, palliative care, rehabilitation, and other services. To help inform optimal tablet distribution and technical support, investigators evaluated patient experiences with tablets through baseline and follow-up surveys. Primary objectives were to: 1) identify healthcare access barriers, 2) examine patient experiences with tablets and any changes in perceived satisfaction with VA care, and 3) investigate the patient characteristics associated with preferences for video vs. in-person care. A baseline survey was sent to 2,120 tablet recipients and a follow-up survey was sent to respondents 3-6 months later. A total of 764 Veterans completed both the baseline and follow-up survey and are included in the following results.

FINDINGS:

  • Many recipients of VA-issued tablets reported that video care is equivalent to or preferred to in-person care. Among follow-up survey respondents, 32% of tablet recipients indicated that they would prefer to conduct their future VA appointments by video; 32% indicated they would prefer these visits in person; and 36% indicated their preference was “about the same.”
  • The most common barriers to in person care were travel time (66%), travel cost (55%), health conditions (54%), bad weather (57%), and feeling uncomfortable or uneasy at VA (33%).
  • Between baseline and follow-up surveys, there were statistically significant increases in patient satisfaction regarding overall VA care, as well as primary care and mental healthcare. Satisfaction regarding technology and technical assistance also was high: 86% agreed or strongly agreed with statements regarding the ease of using the equipment, receiving help needed to learn the technology (84%), and that it was easy to ask questions (88%) and understand instructions (87%).

IMPLICATIONS:

  • Strong satisfaction ratings for tablets and the fact that characteristics such as age, health literacy, and prior technology use were not significantly associated with tablet preference suggest that engagement in video-based care is possible for many types of patients, including those often considered part of the "digital divide."

LIMITATIONS:

  • Investigators could not attribute changes in satisfaction to tablet receipt directly, since surveys were given to tablet recipients only and there was no control group with which to compare outcomes.

AUTHOR/FUNDING INFORMATION:
This study was partly funded through eHealth QUERI and VA’s Office of Rural Health. All authors are part of HSR&D’s Center for Innovation to Implementation (Ci2i), Palo Alto VA Healthcare System.


Slightam C, Gregory A, Hu J, Jacobs J, Gurmessa T, Kimerling R, Blonigen D, Zulman D. Patient Perceptions of Video Visits Using Veterans Affairs Telehealth Tablets: Survey Study Journal of Medical Internet Research. April 15, 2020;22(4):e15682.

Related Briefs

» next 99 Access Briefs...


What are HSR Publication Briefs?

HSR requires notification by HSR-funded investigators about all articles accepted for publication. These journal articles are reviewed by HSR and publication briefs or summaries are written for a select number of articles that are then forwarded to VHA Central Office leadership to keep them informed about important findings or information. Articles to be summarized are selected by HSR based on timeliness of the findings, interest of leadership, or potential impact on the organization. Publication briefs are written for only a small number of HSR published articles. Visit the HSR citations database for a complete listing of HSR articles and presentations.


Questions about the HSR website? Email the Web Team

Any health information on this website is strictly for informational purposes and is not intended as medical advice. It should not be used to diagnose or treat any condition.