Insights from VA Immersive
Recently, I had the privilege of attending the VA Immersive Summit in Washington, DC. The Summit was a deep dive into the innovative technologies and strategic efforts being undertaken to enhance the healthcare experiences of our nation's Veterans. Serving 9 million enrolled Veterans across 1,255 healthcare facilities, the VA plays a crucial role in addressing the healthcare needs of nearly half of the Veteran population in the United States.
One of the central themes of the Summit was the dual nature of innovative technology as both an opportunity and an obligation. An interesting example discussed was the development and use of the stethoscope and how the invention of the stethoscope kept primarily male physicians from putting their ear to the chest of female patients. However, this technology allowed doctors to hear the heart like never before, which meant they could hear murmurs and possibly other potential issues. This example was used to highlight the obligation the VA has to ensure good reliable data and see the ethical implications of technology through to the end, something we all can appreciate.
Veterans Collaborative’s role at the Summit was to learn about the next frontier in Veteran medicine, immersive and augmented reality technology. Highlighted were incredible partnerships and applications that could be used in multiple scenarios - from training surgeons with AR patient simulations, virtual reality used to engage mature populations for mental stimulation, to VR group therapy approaches that corporations can use in their workplace to establish wellness as part of the culture.
I used this opportunity to talk about our program, Veteran Reality. Our approach and use of virtual reality is unique as we are looking differently at how we can enable access to multiple traditional and nontraditional mental wellness methods through this technology.
We view access as two-fold:
· Access the Veteran needs to utilize the resource, which is vital to the VA as well, and
· Building the access and reach of local NGOs and VSOs to the Veteran.
Ultimately, we are bridging the gap between resources and need. The key component that sets our program apart from ones we have seen in this space is that we are elevating resources across the country and giving our Veterans an opportunity to engage with them and have unique experiences that can be accessed almost anywhere, at any time, and for free. For example, when the Veteran-founded nonprofit Skeleton Crew is on a sailing excursion with their Veteran cohort off the coast of Corpus Christi, a Veteran in Oklahoma can connect with them, attend a live event, and experience sailing in Virtual Reality. We are expanding the reach of resources to increase access to vital mental health services in a video game setting, while of course, meeting the rigorous security and compliance standards required.
The Under Secretary of the VA shared what we already know: immersive technology will be common practice in the medical field. Just think, 5 years ago telehealth was nonexistent, and now following the pandemic it is commonplace. This is the future of virtual and immersive technology, and this is the future of Veteran Reality as a tool to build access, experience various methodologies and resources, and allow connection. The technology is getting better, cost of VR is decreasing, and possibilities are endless.
Many of the programs highlighted at the Summit are already partnered with the VA, and the panels highlighted what they are looking for when adopting innovative technologies for Veterans:
Justifications for Innovation:
The justifications for innovation in Veteran services include the efficient use of time and money, enhancing the capability to serve 9 million Veterans, leveraging technology to mitigate and account for bias to ensure fair treatment, and offering transparency and multiple options for Veterans regarding their services.
Collaboration and Trust:
Collaboration among various stakeholders and building trust with Veterans were highlighted as essential components. Veterans' trust scores are the highest with the VA in years. As of January–March 2024, the VA self-reports that 80.4% of Veterans using VA services reported that they trust the VA. This is the highest trust score the VA has seen since it began tracking the data in 2016, when the score was 55%. In April 2024, a survey of more than 480,000 Veterans who received VA health care in the past 90 days found that 91.8% of them trust VA outpatient care, up from 85.4% in 2017. Trust is a priority, and a panel highlighted privacy and security compliance statements must be clear and unambiguous with any partner in how Veterans will be able to manage their data and how the Partner will protect it.
Addressing Rural and Underserved Areas:
Circling around access, there were discussions that focused on how to equip Veterans with the knowledge and skills necessary to access services, especially in rural and underserved areas where there may be limited Wi-Fi access and other barriers. Providing choices and not forcing Veterans into a "this or nothing" situation was deemed important, and we could not agree more. The technologies need to be user-friendly for the most at risk.
These are critical components that mitigate risk of any well-designed program. We believe that we can have a dual focus- not only getting the Veteran to the resource, but one where we help innovation get into the hands of the Veteran—be it charitable, government, or otherwise. The VA commissions many studies that profile our demographic well, and therefore it is all there to be utilized in program design and implementation. For instance, we know generally the profile of who uses services, who doesn’t, and why. In the concept and development of these innovative services, if you aren’t consistently addressing how you will overcome key barriers and risks such as wait times and referrals, language and identity, privacy and security, cost, and stigma to get your tool into the hands of the Veteran in need, the reach and scope will be minimal.
There are hundreds of programs and services that fail this test, which is why we often have services operating in silos and lacking reach. I had a meeting recently with a Veteran-serving nonprofit that provides a wonderful service for Veteran mental wellness across the nation. They shared that to access their services they require a Veteran to have a disability rating, which they would need to share with them. I simply asked why? Why have that barrier- is it a funder, your Board, or do you simply believe that a disability rating increases mental health risks? We have to understand our demographic enough to know that an unnecessary prerequisite like this one prohibits accessibility to the service.
We believe two are better than one, and the ability to partner, collaborate, and bring people together around challenges for viable solutions is the way to build stronger resources and holistic wellness for our Veteran connected community. In our work, we talk about access as the cornerstone of a future where every individual within our military and Veteran community, irrespective of background or circumstance, has unrestricted entry to essential resources, comprehensive support services, and multifaceted opportunities throughout their military service lifecycle. That should be the North Star.
We invite you to learn about our program and get involved. We are working to bring Veteran Reality to a community resource near you as part of a wellness toolkit. As we move forward, continued collaboration and a focus on addressing the unique challenges faced by Veterans, particularly in underserved areas, will be crucial in driving positive change in mental wellness technology and support services in local communities. We are #InItTogether.
Written by: Natalie Worthan, Founder