VA Telehealth improves entry to diet companies

Diet is a vital a part of a wholesome life-style. Diet and Meals Companies packages provided by VA might help with weight administration and deal with well being situations associated to diet, reminiscent of diabetes, coronary heart illness, excessive ldl cholesterol and renal illness.

Accessing these packages is less complicated than ever resulting from telehealth expertise, reminiscent of VA Video Join, VA’s safe videoconferencing app.

Kari Mularcik, chief of Diet Companies at Central Ohio VA, has seen the optimistic impression of digital diet care. Many Veterans have joined these specialised diet packages as a result of they’re handy. They might not have joined in the event that they needed to go to a VA facility, however the digital side makes them accessible.

Solely 10% of appointments are in individual

At the moment, each VA facility presents digital appointments. At Central Ohio VA, solely 10% of diet appointments are in individual. This has opened the door to Veterans who worth the accessibility and comfort of a video appointment.

“As a substitute of taking three or 4 hours off work to return and see us, they will take a break at work and use half-hour for a digital appointment,” stated Mularcik.

It’s additionally a profit for a lot of amenities which may not have the bodily area for thus many in-person appointments in the course of the day.

Central Ohio VA in Columbus provided VA Video Join visits earlier than the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s particularly useful to Veterans who reside in rural areas removed from the VA facility. However Mularcik stated the variety of Veterans who use VA telehealth has elevated drastically since 2020.

Telehealth packages for diet care

Other than video visits, VA presents telehealth packages to assist Veterans with diet care:

• MOVE! is a nationwide weight administration program that helps Veterans set weight reduction, acquire or upkeep targets. Veterans can meet just about in a gaggle setting with VA suppliers.
• The House Telehealth program screens Veterans’ well being knowledge remotely by way of linked units. These units embrace exercise trackers, blood strain and glucose screens, smartwatches and extra.
• Wholesome Instructing Kitchen is a digital cooking class that exhibits Veterans primary expertise to assist them preserve a nutritious diet. These lessons additionally assist Veterans with particular diet wants, together with these with continual diseases reminiscent of diabetes and coronary heart illness.

Learn more about digital care choices for Veterans.