Coordinated Care Management

April 23, 2012

VA Extends Authentidates' Telehealth Contract for Remote Monitoring of Vets



Authentidate Holding Corp., a provider of secure web-based software applications and telehealth products and services for healthcare organizations, today announced that its contract with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to remotely monitor patients' vital signs and improve patient care, has been extended for 364 days.

The term of this option year begins May 15, 2012 and ends May 14, 2013, according to a press release, while the base contract also includes three additional one-year options to extend the contract.

The contract, with the V’s Home Telehealth Devices and Services, is for Authentidate's Electronic House Call™ (EHC) vital signs monitoring device and service and its Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system, used by VA facilities for veterans on the Care Coordination Home Telehealth program, according to a press release. The goal of the program is to improve overall patient health outcomes, reduce hospital readmissions and emergency hospital and doctor visits.

In 2010 the VA announced one of the earliest versions of its telehealth program, which allowed veterans to visit a VA clinic near their home, connect to medical centers through videoconferencing, and transfer medical information by way of specially-designed telecommunications equipment.

In 2011, the VA went on to explain its telehealth policy, calling it “the right care in the right place at the right time,” and stressing that, where possible, the VA preferred to take care of patients in their own homes, which could be made possible by telehealth.

Today clinicians use the EHC or the IVR solution to add to in-person visits and help ensure that patients comply with their care plans, according to the press release.  From just about anywhere, clinicians can review their patients' remote monitoring session results securely using Authentidate's web-based application and remotely manage or adjust their patients' care plans, medication reminders and related information. Clinicians can also use the web-based application to provide education to patients about their diseases or conditions in real-time through the EHC or IVR solutions, the press release reports.

"We are pleased that the VA has exercised their first option to extend our contract term,” said Ben Benjamin, CEO, Authentidate said in the press release. “We are working closely with the VA to better deliver care to patients and believe this extension opportunity reflects positively on our progress.”

There were 21.8 million vets in the US in 2010. As of this month, 47,000 soldiers have been injured in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.




Edited by Rich Steeves
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