Abstract
Background:
Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions are common in both the general population and the Veteran population. More than half of all visits at Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers are focused on an MSK condition, with over 90% of all Veterans having at least one MSK disability that is directly linked to their military service. At the Veterans Affair Medical Center, Veterans’ vast age span, the preferred care delivery and lifestyle demands were all considered when establishing a new 24-hour accessible MSK program that utilized telehealth as the delivery modality. The virtual program consisted of a four-phased home-based online fitness program, health coach coordinators, and the other complimentary integrated health offerings.
Methods:
Pain reduction and health improvement outcomes derived in the program were obtained through an Institutional Review Board approved retrospective chart review. A retrospective chart review was completed on 146 charts. to evaluate the impact the telehealth-enabled program had on the patients.
Results:
Results indicated that there were benefits derived from the program with pain reduction and increased activities that impact quality of life.
Conclusions:
The Veterans’ own self-disclosures were also reported in the chart review. Both objective and quantifiable data indicated that telehealth is an excellent enabling modality that allowed Veterans of all ages to partake in fitness programs at work, at home, and/or in remote locations. The positive trend in pain reduction and improved health added to the justification for sustainment of this telehealth program after the VA and Department of Defense Joint Incentive Funding concluded.
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