Each morning, Navy Veteran Bobby Osborne gets out of bed bright and early, prepares his first cup of coffee and tends to his companion dogs and cats. Before heading out his front door, there's one more task he completes. It involves a small desk and monitor in the corner of his bedroom. Osborne takes his blood pressure and uses the pulse oximeter to measure his oxygen level as part of VA's Home Telehealth program. He's followed this routine for two years.
Osborne's results are sent to his home telehealth care coordinator through the telehealth monitor. The nurse reviews his vital signs as soon as he sends them through the device and, if anything is concerning, contacts him right away. This convenience enables Veterans like Osborne, who is 96 years old and lives 30 miles away from his health care team, to be as connected as someone who lives a short walk away from the facility.
