Enhancing access of combat-wounded veterans to specialist rehabilitation services: the VA Polytrauma Telehealth Network.

Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom have resulted in U.S. military personnel sustaining combat wounds of unprecedented severity and complexity that necessitate long-term rehabilitation. To meet what are often conflicting requirements in providing severely wounded veterans with timely and convenient access to specialist rehabilitation care, and to enable them to return to their local communities, the Veterans Health Administration has developed a state-of-the-art Polytrauma Telehealth Network that enhances access to such services by linking Veterans Administration rehabilitation facilities. This article describes the clinical, technical, and business process issues involved in the development of this network.