“… Of the nearly 60,000 telehealth encounters in 2016, most were provided in real time via synchronous video. Among all military branches, mental health was the most common service provided via telehealth. Behavioral health advocates and Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin, M.D., have been particularly outspoken about expanding telehealth access among veterans to improve mental health services.
But the DOD’s telehealth numbers are poised to increase for several reasons. Under the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017—passed last December—the DOD must expand the use of telehealth by June 23, 2018. To do so, the DOD has requested an additional $15.7 million during fiscal year 2018…” Read full article here