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Video Blood Pressure Visits (VBPV)

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The Video Blood Pressure Visit (VBPV) project is a three-year Enterprise-Wide Initiative funded by the Office of Rural Health (ORH) and coordinated through the Office of Primary Care.

Video Blood Pressure Visits (VBPV) allow patients to receive high-quality nursing care for chronic diseases such as hypertension in their homes or their location of choice.

This innovation is scaling widely with the support of national stakeholders. See more scaling innovations.

Adoptions:

129 successful

Awards and Recognition:

VHA Shark Tank Winner

Partners:

Clinical Pharmacy Practice Office, Diffusion of Excellence, Office of Connected Care, Office of Primary Care, Office of Rural Health, Office of Veterans Access to Care

Tags:

Access to Care Continuity of Care Coordinated Care COVID-19 Health Equity High Reliability Medication Management Nursing Outpatient Care Pharmacy
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Overview

Problem

VA Video Connect needs to be integrated into PACT daily work.

Patients with abnormal blood pressure require routine blood pressure monitoring, and at times, may require challenging or inconvenient travel for in person clinical care.
Consequently, patients may neglect their appointments altogether; and therefore not receive the necessary follow up to as ... See more

Solution

Dr. Margaret Carrico, Virtual Care Lead for Primary Care, and RN Cortney Frosch, Virtual Care Integration Lead for Primary Care, identified an opportunity to use VA Video Connect for these important visits, making follow up accessible and engaging for patients. Video Blood Pressure (BP) Visits allow patients to replace the in person follow up visit with a vi ... See more

Results

Video Blood Pressure Visits-
- Save the patient the risk of exposure to infectious diseases, the time and cost of travel, the cost of childcare or time off work, and the copay for the visit.
- Provide an opportunity to expand PACT VVC utilization– building the foundation for other virtual PACT team visits.
- Allow for entry of visualized, tele-blood pr ... See more

Metrics

  • encounters, unique patients, rural encounters, rural unique patients, staff using VVC, facilities participating, nurse satisfaction

Diffusion tracker

Does not include Clinical Resource Hubs (CRH)

Statuses

AK: Colonel Mary Louise Rasmuson Campus of the Alaska VA Healthcare System (Anchorage) AL: Birmingham VA Medical Center (Birmingham, Alabama) AL: Central Alabama VA Medical Center-Tuskegee (Tuskegee) AL: Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center (Tuscaloosa) AR: Eugene J. Towbin Healthcare Center (North Little Rock) AR: Fayetteville VA Medical Center (Fayetteville, Arkansas) AZ: Bob Stump Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Prescott) AZ: Carl T. Hayden Veterans' Administration Medical Center (Phoenix, Arizona) AZ: Tucson VA Medical Center (Tucson) CA: Fresno VA Medical Center (Fresno) CA: Jennifer Moreno Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (San Diego, California) CA: Jerry L. Pettis Memorial Veterans' Hospital (Loma Linda, California) CA: Palo Alto VA Medical Center (Palo Alto, California) CA: Sacramento VA Medical Center (Sacramento) CA: San Francisco VA Medical Center (San Francisco) CA: Tibor Rubin VA Medical Center (Long Beach) CA: West Los Angeles VA Medical Center (West Los Angeles) CO: Denver VA Medical Center (Denver) CO: Grand Junction VA Medical Center (Grand Junction, Colorado) CT: Newington VA Clinic (Newington) DC: Washington VA Medical Center (Washington, District of Columbia) DE: Wilmington VA Medical Center (Wilmington, Delaware) FL: Bruce W. Carter Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Miami) FL: C.W. Bill Young Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Bay Pines) FL: James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital (Tampa, Florida) FL: Malcom Randall Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Gainesville) FL: Orlando VA Medical Center (Orlando) FL: West Palm Beach VA Medical Center (West Palm Beach) GA: Carl Vinson Veterans' Administration Medical Center (Dublin) GA: Charlie Norwood Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Augusta Downtown) GA: Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta VA Medical Center (Atlanta, Georgia) HI: Spark M. Matsunaga Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Honolulu) ID: Boise VA Medical Center (Boise) IL: Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center (North Chicago) IL: Danville VA Medical Center (Danville, Illinois) IL: Edward Hines Junior Hospital (Hines) IL: Jesse Brown Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Chicago, Illinois) IN: Marion VA Medical Center (Marion, Indiana) IN: Richard L. Roudebush Veterans' Administration Medical Center (Indianapolis, Indiana) KY: Franklin R. Sousley Campus (Lexington Leestown) KY: Robley Rex Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Louisville) LA: Alexandria VA Medical Center (Alexandria, Louisiana) LA: New Orleans VA Medical Center (New Orleans) LA: Overton Brooks Veterans' Administration Medical Center (Shreveport) MA: Brockton VA Medical Center (Brockton) MA: Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans' Hospital (Bedford) MA: Edward P. Boland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Central Western Massachusetts) MD: Baltimore VA Medical Center (Baltimore) ME: Togus VA Medical Center (Togus) MI: Aleda E. Lutz Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Saginaw, Michigan) MI: Battle Creek VA Medical Center (Battle Creek) MI: John D. Dingell Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Detroit) MI: Lieutenant Colonel Charles S. Kettles VA Medical Center (Ann Arbor) MI: Oscar G. Johnson Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility (Iron Mountain) MN: Minneapolis VA Medical Center (Minneapolis, Minnesota) MN: St. Cloud VA Medical Center (St. Cloud) MO: Kansas City VA Medical Center (Kansas City, Missouri) MO: St. Louis VA Medical Center-Jefferson Barracks (St. Louis Jefferson Barracks) MS: Biloxi VA Medical Center (Biloxi) MS: G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Jackson, Mississippi) MT: Fort Harrison VA Medical Center (Fort Harrison) NC: Charles George Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Asheville) NC: Durham VA Medical Center (Durham) NC: Fayetteville VA Medical Center (Fayetteville, North Carolina) NC: W.G. (Bill) Hefner Salisbury Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Salisbury) ND: Fargo VA Medical Center (Fargo) NE: Omaha VA Medical Center (Omaha, Nebraska) NH: Manchester VA Medical Center (Manchester) NJ: East Orange VA Medical Center (East Orange) NM: Raymond G. Murphy Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Albuquerque) NV: Ioannis A. Lougaris Veterans' Administration Medical Center (Reno) NV: North Las Vegas VA Medical Center (North Las Vegas) NY: Castle Point VA Medical Center (Castle Point) NY: James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Bronx) NY: Margaret Cochran Corbin VA Campus (Manhattan) NY: Northport VA Medical Center (Northport) NY: Samuel S. Stratton Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Albany, New York) OH: Chalmers P. Wylie Veterans Outpatient Clinic (Columbus, Ohio) OH: Chillicothe VA Medical Center (Chillicothe) OH: Cincinnati VA Medical Center (Cincinnati, Ohio) OH: Dayton VA Medical Center (Dayton) OH: Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Cleveland, Ohio) OK: Jack C. Montgomery Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Muskogee, Oklahoma) OK: Oklahoma City VA Medical Center (Oklahoma City) OR: Portland VA Medical Center (Portland, Oregon) OR: Roseburg VA Medical Center (Roseburg) OR: White City VA Medical Center (White City) PA: Butler VA Medical Center (Butler New Castle Road) PA: Coatesville VA Medical Center (Coatesville) PA: Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) PA: Erie VA Medical Center (Erie) PA: James E. Van Zandt Veterans' Administration Medical Center (Altoona) PA: Lebanon VA Medical Center (Lebanon) PA: Pittsburgh VA Medical Center-University Drive (Pittsburgh) PA: Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center (Wilkes-Barre) PR: San Juan VA Medical Center (San Juan) RI: Providence VA Medical Center (Providence) SC: Ralph H. Johnson Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Charleston, South Carolina) SC: Wm. Jennings Bryan Dorn Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Columbia, South Carolina) SD: Fort Meade VA Medical Center (Fort Meade, South Dakota) SD: Royal C. Johnson Veterans' Memorial Hospital (Sioux Falls) TN: James H. Quillen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Mountain Home, Tennessee) TN: Lt. Col. Luke Weathers, Jr. VA Medical Center (Memphis) TN: Nashville VA Medical Center (Nashville) TX: Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans' Hospital (San Antonio, Texas) TX: Dallas VA Medical Center (Dallas) TX: Doris Miller Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Waco) TX: El Paso VA Clinic (El Paso) TX: George H. O'Brien, Jr., Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Big Spring) TX: Harlingen VA Clinic (Harlingen) TX: Michael E. DeBakey Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Houston) TX: Thomas E. Creek Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Amarillo) UT: George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Salt Lake City) VA: Hampton VA Medical Center (Hampton) VA: Richmond VA Medical Center (Richmond, Virginia) VA: Salem VA Medical Center (Salem, Virginia) VT: White River Junction VA Medical Center (White River Junction) WA: Jonathan M. Wainwright Memorial VA Medical Center (Walla Walla) WA: Mann-Grandstaff Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Spokane, Washington) WA: Seattle VA Medical Center (Seattle) WI: Clement J. Zablocki Veterans' Administration Medical Center (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) WI: Tomah VA Medical Center (Tomah) WI: William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans' Hospital (Madison) WV: Beckley VA Medical Center (Beckley) WV: Hershel "Woody" Williams VA Medical Center (Huntington, West Virginia) WV: Louis A. Johnson Veterans' Administration Medical Center (Clarksburg) WV: Martinsburg VA Medical Center (Martinsburg) WY: Cheyenne VA Medical Center (Cheyenne) WY: Sheridan VA Medical Center (Sheridan)

There are no in-progress adoptions for this innovation.

There are no unsuccessful adoptions for this innovation.

Multimedia

Images

Being at home is beneficial to many Veterans. VA health care team members have noticed Veterans’ blood pressures are sometimes elevated at in-person clinic appointments, which may be attributed to their stress from having to travel to the VA medical facility. Virtual visits offer easier follow on blood pressure readings. Providing better patient outcomes.

Videos

Shark Tank VBPV

Implementation

Timeline

  • 1 to 6 months
    PACT team clinician successfully demonstrates use of video visits for blood pressure monitoring.

Departments

  • Social work
  • Social work
  • Pharmacy
  • Geriatrics
  • Purchasing and supplies
  • Nursing services
  • Psychology
  • Telehealth
  • Primary care
  • Social services
  • Nutrition, food, and dietary

Core Resources

Files

Links

Risks and mitigations

Risk Mitigation
none

Contact

Comment

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Email

Email with questions about this innovation.

About

Origin story

The current standard for blood pressure that is not at goal during a routine visit is to schedule the patient for a Nursing Intervention blood pressure check in the clinic as face to face visit. Because the patient is unable or unwilling to return to the clinic for a follow-up blood pressure evaluation, numerous patients have abnormal blood pressure readings ... The current standard for blood pressure that is not at goal during a routine visit is to schedule the patient for a Nursing Intervention blood pressure check in the clinic as face to face visit. Because the patient is unable or unwilling to return to the clinic for a follow-up blood pressure evaluation, numerous patients have abnormal blood pressure readings which remain documented. Therefore, lifestyle or medication interventions that are implemented at the initial visit have no follow-up which places the patient at risk for an untoward outcome. External peer reviews captured by The Clinical Guideline and Prevention Indicators Report serve as a quality of care measure for hypertension management. By replacing face to face visits with a virtual visit, the veteran is available for his appointment eliminating the probability of no-show. The VA does not incur travel expense. The veteran is not charged a copay. The VA utilizes less staff to care for the veteran as it eliminates the need for check in and check out of the clinic appointment. The veteran has less of a chance of a misdiagnosis due to White Coat Hypertension (WCH). Thus, Improving access for follow-on blood pressure evaluations improve patient outcomes and HEDIS measures.

Original team

Margaret Carrico MD

Virtual Care Lead, Office of Primary Care, VACO

Cortney Frosch RN

Virtual Care Integration Lead, OPC, VACO

Devin Harrison

Diffusion Specialist

Search tags

Access to Care Continuity of Care Coordinated Care COVID-19 Health Equity High Reliability Medication Management Nursing Outpatient Care Pharmacy