Promoting Whole Health and Well-Being at Home: Veteran and Provider Perspectives on the Impact of Tele-Whole Health Services

Aishwarya Khanna; Eileen M Dryden; Rendelle E Bolton; Juliet Wu; Stephanie L Taylor; Marla L Clayman; Chitra Anwar; Danna Kasom; Michael McGowan; Rashmi S Mullur; Barbara G Bokhour; Justeen Hyde

doi:10.1177/2164957X221142608

Promoting Whole Health and Well-Being at Home: Veteran and Provider Perspectives on the Impact of Tele-Whole Health Services

Glob Adv Health Med. 2022 Nov 25:11:2164957X221142608. doi: 10.1177/2164957X221142608. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Aishwarya Khanna¹, Eileen M Dryden¹, Rendelle E Bolton^{1

2}, Juliet Wu¹, Stephanie L Taylor^{3

4}, Marla L Clayman^{1

5}, Chitra Anwar¹, Danna Kasom³, Michael McGowan³, Rashmi S Mullur^{3

6

7}, Barbara G Bokhour^{1

5}, Justeen Hyde^{1

8}

Affiliations

¹ US Department of Veterans Affairs, Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research (CHOIR), VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, USA.
² Brandeis University, The Heller School for Social Policy and Management, MA, USA.
³ US Department of Veterans Affairs, Center for the Study of Health Care Innovation, Implementation & Policy, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁴ University of California Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine, Department of Medicine School of Public Health, Department of Health Policy and Management, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁵ University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, 368 Plantation Street Worcester, MA 01605.
⁶ Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology & Metabolism, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁷ Integrative Medicine Collaborative, University of California Los Angeles Health, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁸ Boston University School of Medicine, Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.

Abstract

Background: The Veterans Health Administration (VA) is undergoing a transformation in how healthcare is organized and provided. This transformation to a Whole Health System of Care encompasses the integration of complementary and integrative health services, education, and Whole Health coaching to develop Veterans' self-care skills. During the COVID-19 pandemic, these services were provided via telehealth (tele-WH).

Objective: We sought to understand Veteran and provider perspectives on how tele-WH impacts Veteran engagement in Whole Health-aligned services and the impact on their well-being.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 51 providers who delivered tele-WH at 10 VA Medical Centers (VAMCs) and 19 Veterans receiving tele-WH at 6 VAMCs. Participants were asked about their experiences with tele-WH, what they perceived to be the impact of tele-WH on Veterans, and their preferences moving forward. Interviews were transcribed, and a content analysis was performed using a rapid approach.

Results: We identified 3 major themes that describe the perceived impact of tele-WH on Veterans. These include: (1) increased use of Whole Health-aligned services; (2) deeper engagement with Whole-Health aligned services; and (3) improvements in social, psychological, and physical well-being.

Conclusion: Tele-WH is perceived to be a strong complement to in-person services and is a promising mechanism for improving engagement with Whole Health-aligned services and promoting Veteran well-being. Future research is needed to measure outcomes identified in this study and to support more equitable access to telehealth for all.

Keywords: complementary and integrative health; telehealth; veterans; well-being; whole health.