Video helps VA patients cut out long doctor trips

Video helps VA patients cut out long doctor trips
By Andrew Doughman The Orlando Sentinel
First Posted: August 26, 2011

ORLANDO, Fla. , Jon Yeitrakis used to drive almost an hour each way to see his psychiatrist at the Veterans Affairs hospital in Orlando, Fla.

Now, the Kissimmee, Fla., resident and former Marine medic drives eight minutes to a local VA clinic.

The doctor is still in Orlando. Yeitrakis is still in Kissimmee. But now Yeitrakis attends his 50-minute "tele-psychiatry" appointments over a two-way video system.

Although the technology has been around for decades, only within the past few years has it been available to patients such as Yeitrakis. And the VA plans to expand those telemedicine services during the next year.

"The advantage of telemedicine is that it allows the veteran, or civilian for that matter, to access care in their location," said Nick Ross, assistant director of outpatient clinics and planning at the VA of North Florida and South Georgia.

In some respects, telemedicine represents the death of distance.

Patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes can now use a device to send medical data to the doctor's office from their homes. Then doctors can provide targeted advice over the telephone when necessary.

No more drives to the doctor's office or long waits in the waiting room.
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