Telemental Health Use Is Associated With Lower Health Care Spending Among Medicare Beneficiaries With Major Depression.

BACKGROUND: Some policymakers are concerned that expanding telehealth coverage may increase Medicare expenditures. However, there is limited evidence on the association of telehealth use with utilization and spending among Medicare beneficiaries with major depression. OBJECTIVE: To examine the differences in spending and utilization among telemental health users and non-telemental health users with major depression. METHODS: We examined 2014-2019 traditional Medicare claims data for beneficiaries aged ≥50 years with major depression in Texas. Multivariable generalized linear models were used to assess the relationships between telemental health use and Medicare spending and utilization while adjusting for patient demographics and programmatic and clinical factors. RESULTS: In each of the years between 2014 and 2019, an average of 4.6% Medicare beneficiaries with major depression had at least 1 telemental health visit. Compared with beneficiaries without a telemental health visit, those who had a telemental health visit were significantly more likely to be enrolled in Medicaid, be Medicare eligible due to a disability, live in a lower income area or in a rural area, and have a higher comorbidity index. Beneficiaries utilizing telemental health services incurred higher unadjusted Medicare spending than those not receiving telemental health services. However, this difference appeared due to beneficiary and programmatic characteristics rather than telemental health use. Adjusting for model covariates, the telemental health group had lower overall per member per year predicted spending, inpatient admissions, and emergency department visits than non-telemental health users. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that telemental health care use may improve access to mental health care without increasing Medicare spending among telemental health users in Texas.

Rural-Urban Disparities in Video Telehealth Use During Rapid Mental Health Care Virtualization Among American Indian/Alaska Native Veterans.

Importance: American Indian/Alaska Native veterans experience a high risk for health inequities, including mental health (MH) care access. Rapid virtualization of MH care in response to the COVID-19 pandemic facilitated care continuity across the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), but the association between virtualization of care and health inequities among American Indian/Alaska Native veterans is unknown. Objective: To examine differences in video telehealth (VTH) use for MH care between American Indian/Alaska Native and non-American Indian/Alaska Native veterans by rurality and urbanicity. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this cohort study, VHA administrative data on VTH use among a veteran cohort that received MH care from October 1, 2019, to February 29, 2020 (prepandemic), and April 1 to December 31, 2020 (early pandemic), were examined. Exposures: At least 1 outpatient MH encounter during the study period. Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcome was use of VTH among all study groups (ie, American Indian/Alaska Native, non-American Indian/Alaska Native, rural, or urban) before and during the early pandemic. American Indian/Alaska Native veteran status and rurality were examined as factors associated with VTH utilization through mixed models. Results: Of 1 754 311 veterans (mean [SD] age, 54.89 [16.23] years; 85.21% male), 0.48% were rural American Indian/Alaska Native; 29.04%, rural non-American Indian/Alaska Native; 0.77%, urban American Indian/Alaska Native; and 69.71%, urban non-American Indian/Alaska Native. Before the pandemic, a lower percentage of urban (b = -0.91; SE, 0.02; 95% CI, -0.95 to -0.87; P < .001) and non-American Indian/Alaska Native (b = -0.29; SE, 0.09; 95% CI, -0.47 to -0.11; P < .001) veterans used VTH. During the early pandemic period, a greater percentage of urban (b = 1.37; SE, 0.05; 95% CI, 1.27-1.47; P < .001) and non-American Indian/Alaska Native (b = 0.55; SE, 0.19; 95% CI, 0.18-0.92; P = .003) veterans used VTH. There was a significant interaction between rurality and American Indian/Alaska Native status during the early pandemic (b = -1.49; SE, 0.39; 95% CI, -2.25 to -0.73; P < .001). Urban veterans used VTH more than rural veterans, especially American Indian/Alaska Native veterans (non-American Indian/Alaska Native: rurality b = 1.35 [SE, 0.05; 95% CI, 1.25-1.45; P < .001]; American Indian/Alaska Native: rurality b = 2.91 [SE, 0.38; 95% CI, 2.17-3.65; P < .001]). The mean (SE) increase in VTH was 20.34 (0.38) and 15.35 (0.49) percentage points for American Indian/Alaska Native urban and rural veterans, respectively (difference in differences [DID], 4.99 percentage points; SE, 0.62; 95% CI, 3.77-6.21; t = -7.999; df, 11 000; P < .001), and 12.97 (0.24) and 11.31 (0.44) percentage points for non-American Indian/Alaska Native urban and rural veterans, respectively (DID, 1.66; SE, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.68-2.64; t = -3.32; df, 15 000; P < .001). Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study, although rapid virtualization of MH care was associated with greater VTH use in all veteran groups studied, a significant difference in VTH use was seen between rural and urban populations, especially among American Indian/Alaska Native veterans. The findings suggest that American Indian/Alaska Native veterans in rural areas may be at risk for VTH access disparities.

Increasing access to care for trauma-exposed rural veterans: A mixed methods outcome evaluation of a web-based skills training program with telehealth-delivered coaching.

PURPOSE: While rural veterans with trauma exposure report high rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and functional impairment, utilization of health services is low. This pilot study used mixed qualitative and quantitative methods to evaluate the potential benefits of a transdiagnostic web-based skills training program paired with telehealth-delivered coaching to address a range of symptoms and functional difficulties. The study directed substantial outreach efforts to women veterans who had experienced military sexual trauma given their growing representation in the Veterans Healthcare Administration (VHA) and identified need for services. METHODS: Participants were 32 trauma-exposed veterans enrolled in rural-serving VHA facilities who screened positive for either PTSD or depression. Symptoms of PTSD, depression, emotion regulation, and interpersonal problems were assessed at baseline, midpoint, posttreatment, and 3-month follow-up. Veterans completed exit interviews to identify benefits and limitations of the program. RESULTS: Intent-to-treat analyses revealed significant symptom reduction for all outcomes, with large to moderate effect sizes at 3-month follow-up. Outcomes did not differ by gender or military sexual trauma status. Veterans' rating of the therapeutic alliance was high and interview responses indicated that the presence of the coach was critical to success in the program. CONCLUSION: This remotely delivered transdiagnostic intervention provided significant benefits across a range of symptoms and functional outcomes and was viewed positively by veterans. The results indicate that further research (ie, a randomized controlled trial) is warranted. Attention to the role of the coach as a means by which to increase engagement and retention in technology-delivered interventions is warranted.

Personalized implementation of video telehealth for rural veterans (PIVOT-R).

BACKGROUND: A national shortage of mental health (MH) professionals leaves more than 90% of rural individuals without adequate access to services each year, troubling because 33% of Veterans Health Administration (VHA) enrollees live in rural areas and rural Veterans have a greater risk of suicide than urban Veterans. Additional barriers such as travel distance and cost, stigma and extreme weather or geography add to challenges of rural Veterans seeking treatment. Although the VHA has addressed this disparity by providing telemental health services, provision of services via traditional hub-and-spoke and/or establishment of regional centers has not fully addressed barriers or resource limitations. Video telehealth to home (VTH) has assisted in better addressing geographic, attitudinal and systematic barriers to in-person care; however, its uptake and implementation have been problematic. This article describes the Personalized Implementation of Video Telehealth for Rural Veterans (PIVOT-R) approach, developed in response to the unique needs of rural veterans. METHODS: We developed PIVOT, a flexible implementation strategy that is adaptive to site-specific contexts and different digital innovations and relies on a collaborative relationship between external facilitators, internal facilitators and clinical champions. We used formative evaluation (FE) to gather ongoing information about our quality improvement (QI) implementation approach of VTH. Our FE of PIVOT at rural sites provided insight into adaptations to improve rural implementation. This led to development of PIVOT-R, which explicitly focuses on rural implementation. PIVOT-R, developed from provider and patient feedback plus lessons learned during implementation, focuses on rurality as an important diversity factor and addresses relationship building, engaging the site, assessing context and infrastructure and balancing national expectations with site-level goals. During fiscal year 2018 we partnered with a VHA healthcare system in a Western mountain state to pilot the PIVOT-R approach, again using FE which included quantitative and qualitative data collection to evaluate its impact. RESULTS: PIVOT-R effectively increased uptake of VTH for MH care at the healthcare system evaluated. In fiscal year 2019 the percentage of Veterans receiving MH care via VTH at the site was 10 times greater than in fiscal year 2018, matching the mean VHA nationwide percentage and increasing by 43.24% by the end of 2019. Veteran feedback supported a positive experience by users. CONCLUSIONS: Inclusion of a comprehensive assessment of the rural system, including infrastructure and resources, greatly improves understanding of a system's specific needs and enables a tailored approach targeting relevant barriers. Our FE suggests the potential of PIVOT-R to increase VTH uptake at other rural locations and reinforces the value of telehealth technology as an important resource for rural sites.

Mental and Physical Health Correlates of Tobacco Use Among Transgender Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan Conflicts.

The aim of the study was to identify prevalence of tobacco use and associated correlates in a cohort of 332 transgender veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. We identified tobacco use, nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs), and clinical comorbidities from veteran medical record databases. We compared differences in use and clinical comorbidities, using nonparametric bivariate analyses. Approximately 67% of veterans were using tobacco, with 25% receiving NRTs. Major depressive disorder, alcohol-use disorders, and drug-use disorders were significantly higher in transgender women tobacco users than in nonusers. Results emphasize future research and clinical intervention necessary to address these health conditions in this vulnerable subgroup.

Recent Advances in Delivering Mental Health Treatment via Video to Home.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Telemental health has rapidly evolved as technology and policy advances have allowed new and innovative approaches, including the remote delivery of services directly to patients' homes. This review examined the literature on video to home (VTH) delivery of mental health services to synthesize information regarding (1) the comparative clinical effectiveness of VTH to in-person mental health treatment, (2) impact of VTH on treatment adherence, (3) patient and provider satisfaction with VTH, (4) cost effectiveness of VTH, and (5) clinical considerations for VTH use. RECENT FINDINGS: Clinical effectiveness, treatment adherence, and patient satisfaction outcomes are comparable for VTH and in-person delivery of psychotherapy and psychiatric consultation services. Clinical applications for VTH have expanded in an effort to provide mental health care to difficult to reach, underserved populations. VTH is less costly than in-person care when assuming that patients could employ existing personal technologies. VTH delivery offers a safe and effective option for increasing access to mental health care for patients who face logistical and stigma-related barriers to receiving in-person treatment. VTH should be routinely offered to patients as an option for receiving care, maximizing patient choice, and coordination of care.