142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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314560
Connected health in VA health care

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Monday, November 17, 2014 : 8:30 AM - 8:50 AM

Thomas K. Houston, MD, MPH , Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA), comprised of 152 hospitals and over 1700 outpatient clinics, is the largest integrated health care system in the U.S. Widely recognized for its longstanding investment in health information technology and strong focus on quality and safety, VHA has responded to new challenges facing veterans in the 21st century. Of particular note, newer veterans differ from their older counterparts with respect to demographics, burden of behavioral challenges and chronic illnesses, and acute needs for rehabilitation. This session will describe innovative approaches to addressing three specific areas that illustrate the potential for new partnerships between health care and public health to improve overall population health: Approaches to tobacco cessation among population groups with the greatest challenges; Responses to unique health issues of the increasing numbers of women veterans; Strategies for greater access for all veterans, regardless of where they live, through leverage of VHA’s investments in connected health.

Learning Areas:

Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Administration, management, leadership
Communication and informatics
Other professions or practice related to public health
Public health administration or related administration
Systems thinking models (conceptual and theoretical models), applications related to public health

Learning Objectives:
Describe components of connected health technologies in the VA system Explain how virtual care enhances efficiency, safety, quality, and coordination of health care Review specific research VA is conducting regarding connected health List advantageous outcomes and dangers of connected health technologies

Keyword(s): Information Technology, Quality of Care

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a VA physician-scientist and Director of the eHealth QUERI centered in Bedford, MA. I am a senior scientist at CHOIR and the Chief of the Division of Health Informatics and Implementation Science within the Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School. I have gained national recognition for his health informatics research with a specific focus on patient-centered informatics.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 3056.0: Improving veterans' health and health care