Abstract
Background: Mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) is prevalent among Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom [OEF]) and Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom [OIF]) Veterans. With clinical video telehealth (CVT), Veterans screening positive for potential deployment-related TBI can receive comprehensive TBI evaluations by providers at specialized centers through interactive video communication. Introduction: We examined health care utilization and costs for Veterans during the 12 months before and after being evaluated through CVT versus in-person. Materials and Methods: We examined OEF/OIF Veterans receiving comprehensive evaluations at specialized Veterans Affairs facilities from October 2012 to September 2014. Veterans evaluated through CVT and in-person at the same facilities were included. We used a difference-in-difference analysis with propensity score weighted regression models to examine health care utilization and costs between TBI evaluation groups. Results: There were 554 Veterans with comprehensive evaluations through CVT (380 with and 174 without confirmed TBI) and 7,159 with in-person evaluations (4,899 with and 2,260 without confirmed TBI). Veterans in the in-person group with confirmed TBI had similar increases in outpatient, inpatient, and total health care costs as Veterans who had TBI confirmed through CVT. However, Veterans with a confirmed TBI evaluated in-person had greater increases in rehabilitation and other specialty costs. Discussion: When visits are in-person, Veterans may have opportunities to discuss more issues and concerns, whether TBI-related or not. Thus, providers might make more referrals to rehabilitation and specialty care after in-person visits. Conclusion: Veterans receiving in-person evaluations who were diagnosed with TBI had similar increases in health care costs as Veterans with TBI confirmed through evaluations through CVT.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 1144-1153 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Telemedicine and e-Health |
Volume | 25 |
Issue number | 12 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Dec 2019 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This study was supported by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Research and Development, Health Services Research and Development Service Quality Enhancement Research Initiative as award RRP 11–418. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the Department of Veterans Affairs or the U.S. government.
Funding Information:
This study was supported by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Research and Development, Health Services Research and Development Service Quality Enhancement Research Initiative as award RRP 11-418. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the Department of Veterans Affairs or the U.S. government
Publisher Copyright:
© Copyright 2019, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.
Keywords
- Cost analysis
- E-health
- Head injury
- Health care utilization
- Operation Iraqi freedom
- Operation enduring freedom
- Telehealth
- Telemedicine
- Traumatic brain injury
- Veterans