How digitizing health education resources can increase Veteran patient awareness and promote a healthier lifestyle for all! 

Lizette DeBouse, MBA, Client Success Manager

One goal for hospital clinicians is prompt and thorough education of patients on their specific health condition(s) by providing them with all the necessary resources available post-discharge.  A common concern amongst many clinical departments is getting the proper education front and center to Veteran patients. We asked, what is the one thing Veterans interact with the most during their stay? Their TV’s. With this in mind, one Southeast VA Medical Center decided to take action and collaborate with Get Well to implement digitized education and resources made available and accessible to Veteran patients through their in-room TVs.

The Heart Failure team was interested in seeing if information pushed out via patient TVs would be well-received by both staff and Veteran patients. By implementing education prompts and resources through Get Well’s TV pathways, the department significantly improved patient engagement and awareness. Staff engaged the Veteran at the bedside to provide one-on-one education, and, for our more engaged Veterans, they had the accessibility to educate themselves at their leisure.

This creative approach ensured that critical information was always front and center, reinforcing key messages enabling patients to take their healthcare into their own hands. Some examples of resources provided include: heart failure education classes, heart failure self-management groups and healthy cooking demonstrations. The Veterans have the option to review the literature and/or register from their in-room remote with just a few simple clicks. You can see a visual of the patient TV screen below:

Digitized education implementation sparked interest within several departments throughout the hospital. Many are now implementing this initiative to further the reach of patient education and increase Veteran awareness of available resources. The utilization of these simple solutions yielded wonderful feedback, not only from clinical staff, but also from Veterans. Here are a couple of quotes celebrating the patient education improvements Get Well has enabled:

The Importance of Accessible Health Resources for Veterans

Accessible health resources tailored to Veteran needs are essential for several reasons:

• Enhanced Patient Experience: Providing robust educational resources contributes to a more positive patient experience, fostering trust and satisfaction with VHA care delivery.

• Empowerment Through Knowledge: Access to reliable health information empowers Veterans to take charge of their own health, leading to more proactive and informed healthcare decisions while inside the hospital, and at home.
• Improved Post-Discharge Outcomes: Effective patient education ensures that Veterans understand their post-discharge care instructions, reducing readmission rates and promoting better health outcomes.

By focusing on the digitization of patient education, we can ensure that Veteran health resources are not just available but also effective in meeting the unique needs of our heroes. Let’s work together to make these resources front and center. 

Get Well is honored to enable the continuous delivery and improvement of quality care for Veteran patients with our VAMC partners. To learn more about Get Well’s solutions for Veteran care, visit our site: https://www.getwellnetwork.com/veteran-patient-education-software/.