• Lauren Desko and Mitchell Nazario.
• J Pain Palliat Care Pharmacother. 2014 Dec 1; 28 (4): 359-66.

ObjectivesThe objectives of this project were to evaluate patient satisfaction with the clinical video telehealth (CVT) pain management clinic, and to evaluate possible benefits of this clinic.MethodsData collected included the distance from the patient's home to the main Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center, the distance from the patient's home to the community based outpatient clinic (CBOC), travel distance saved for the patient, and travel pay status. Following CVT clinic appointments patients were asked to complete a written feedback assessment to evaluate patient satisfaction. All data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.ResultsVeterans saved 8,981 miles in travel distance, and the VA saved $2,317.51 due to averted travel reimbursement. There was a 90% satisfaction rate with the CVT pain management clinic services, and 90% of patients agreed that they would recommend telehealth to other veterans.ConclusionsOverall, patients are satisfied with the CVT pain management clinic. Furthermore, the substantial miles saved for the patients, as well as the cost savings for the VA, indicates that this service has tangible benefits. As this clinic continues to operate, it can be expected that miles saved for patients and cost savings for the VA will continue to grow.

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