§1709A Teleconsultation

Summary

The Secretary must set up teleconsultation so veterans can get remote mental health and traumatic brain injury (TBI) evaluations at VA sites that otherwise can't do them without hiring outside providers or paying fee-based providers. The Secretary must work with professional groups to create technical and clinical care standards for teleconsultation. If a site cannot do an evaluation without outside contracting or teleconsultation, and hiring outside help is better for the veteran than teleconsultation, the site must be able to hire or pay that outside provider. Teleconsultation means a specialist uses phone, video, or other telecommunications to help another health care provider diagnose or treat a patient.