The future of health care How technology is giving veterans new options By Janice Hagar N avy veteran Mark Doyle’s life changed in a heartbeat in the summer of 2004 when he took a 25-foot fall on the ship he was serving aboard, landing on the back of his head and neck. While he miraculously suffered no spinal damage, it wasn’t long before he started to exhibit symptoms of a serious traumatic brain injury (TBI): severe headaches, migraines, vision problems, disorientation, sleep problems and reduced memory. In the 15 years since his injury, those symptoms have not subsided, but the surge in technology over the past decade has helped Doyle come a long way in his recovery. Doyle and his wife, Bonnie, live 36 miles from Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital in Chicago, which can be an excruciatingly difficult journey if he has an intense migraine. Doyle is unable to drive and depends on his wife to take him to his appointments. However, thanks to the VA’s telehealth option, he can still keep his appointment with his therapist from the comfort of his home. This hasn’t always been the case. “I first tried telehealth when you had to go to an outpatient-based clinic because that’s where the equipment was located,” said Doyle. “I didn’t like it. It was a room with dividers and people were on either side. I could hear them, so I know they could hear me. It was very unnerving.” Now technology has changed telehealth and taken it to new heights. With a webcam and an internet connection, patients can have a session from home with their doctors and feel safe in a private, secure environment. DAV MAGAZINE | MAY/JUNE 2019 VA psychologist Dr. Jonathan Hessinger (left) counsels Mark and Bonnie Doyle via telehealth. A secure internet connection and cameras allow Hessinger and Mark to have counseling sessions when Mark is feeling too ill to be driven to the hospital. After his first experience with telehealth, Doyle was very reluctant to try this new option, but he decided to give it a go. “About a month after seeing Dr. [Jonathan] Hessinger once a week, sometimes several times a week, I finally gave in and tried it. And I like it,” he said. “I’ve never felt like there were ‘listening ears.’ I know his office is secure. I also know there are offices next to him and I’ve never been able to hear anyone, so I’m comfortable that no one can hear me.” “Telehealth has grown in leaps and bounds,” said Hessinger, a psychologist at the hospital’s TBI/ Polytrauma Services Program. “We’re able to knock down the barriers that keep veterans from seeking help. Coming to the first appointment, walking into the mental health building can be difficult. With telehealth, I can come to you.” Hessinger recalls a woman veteran who needed support but was very uncomfortable walking into a clinic full of men. He began working with her via telehealth, and after several months, she was comfortable enough to come to the clinic and meet. “These are veterans we never saw five years ago,” said Hessinger. “Telehealth has changed the game for allowing access to people who are concerned about the stigma.” DAV.ORG 28
Issue Articles
The future of health care
Janice Hagar
Visit Article: https://digital.dav.org/article/The+future+of+health+care/3361062/582106/article.html.