Interest among veterans receiving outpatient treatment in use of computerized psychotherapies (CPT) is high and an area where further efforts may be of interest, according to a recent study.
The researchers investigated veterans' levels of interest for use of CPT's, especially given possible barriers such as availability of hardware and Internet, as well as understanding of the tools, according to the report, published in Telemedicine and e-Health.
The report's authors, from the VA Connecticut Health Care System in West Haven, Connecticut, surveyed 151 veterans participating in outpatient substance use treatment at the health system.
Of those surveyed, 82 percent, or 124 respondents, showed interest in at least one CPT treatment for a specific problem. Some of those most common issues included substance use, depression, general problem solving, or insomnia, the researchers found. About 47 percent said they would be interested in CPT for drug or alcohol use.
In addition, about 60 percent said they would use CPT treatment for more than one problem.
One surprising find during the study, according to the researchers, was that barriers to IT use were not "significantly associated with interest in participating in CPT."
Another study, released last year, showed that using telemedicine-based collaborative care helped provide psychotherapy care to veterans in rural areas suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, FierceHealthIT previously reported.
Health IT also can support vets who need to better manage chronic conditions from home. Researchers from the Veterans Health Administration earlier this year found that veterans receiving care coordination home telehealth showed improved health-related quality of life.
To learn more:
- read the report (.pdf)