Fargo VA Health Care System

Telehealth

At the Fargo VA Health Care System, we are working to offer and expand various clinical services using technology to improve health care access for our Veterans. Telehealth offers the opportunity to receive clinical care closer to where the Veteran lives. Telehealth allows you to be in your home, or at a nearby VA, to receive health care, improving convenience and access.

If you think Telehealth might be right for you, please discuss possible opportunities with your Patient-Aligned Care Team (PACT).

Telehealth Mission: To provide increased access to healthcare, improved continuity and coordination of care, reduced clinical wait times, promotion of Veteran self-management and disease management, and availability of care closer to Veterans' homes.

The following services are available:

Clinical Video Telehealth (CVT)

We use videoconferencing technologies to allow Veterans to connect with their clinical providers real-time for health care services. Visit http://www.telehealth.va.gov/real-time/index.asp to learn about some of the CVT services currently being offered in the VA.

Home Telehealth

Home Telehealth monitors Veterans' health conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, congestive heart failure, PTSD, weight management, and more, using small devices placed inside the Veterans' home.

The Home Telehealth program provides a free service to Veterans to support self-management of chronic diseases and/or obesity. Nurses monitor the Veteran's health information, and partner with the Veteran and medical team to support disease or obesity management. The home device also enhances education and motivation through on-screen instruction.

If interested, Veterans may ask their primary care team or call us at (701) 239-3700 ext. 3806 to determine if either of these options are a good fit.

Store and Forward Telehealth

Store-and-Forward Telehealth involves the acquisition and storing of clinical information (e.g. data, image, sound, video) that is then forwarded to (or retrieved by) another site for clinical evaluation.

Teleretinal Imaging:
Diabetes can cause problems with the blood vessels in the back of the eye (retina), especially if the diabetes is poorly controlled. A special camera is now available that can take pictures of the retina without needing to put drops in the eye to widen the pupil of the eye. The picture that is taken is then sent to an eye care specialist for review. A report is sent back to the patient's primary care physician who then follows up if treatment to prevent blindness is required. This investigation does not replace a full eye exam and is not suitable for people who already have complications of diabetes, but it does mean that those at risk of eye problems from diabetes can be assessed easily and conveniently in a local clinic.

Teleretinal Imaging is available at our Bemidji, Bismarck, Grand Forks, and Minot clinics.

Clinical Video Telehealth (CVT) to Home

CVT to Home is essentially “real-time telehealth” where a telecommunications link allows for instantaneous, interaction between the patient and the provider or even two providers at the patients home. CVT to Home specialties may include:

• TeleMental Health
• TeleRehabilitation
• TeleOccupational Therapy
• TeleMOVE!