Veterans Affairs Hospitals Fall Behind in Access to Medical Technology Due to Budget Constraints and Staffing Shortages
Leaders from medical technology companies testified before a House Veterans’ Affairs Committee oversight hearing, highlighting how VA hospitals lag behind commercial hospitals in adopting life-changing medical technologies due to budget uncertainties and staffing challenges. Will Gray, vice president at Boston Scientific, discussed the slow adoption of atrial fibrillation (AFib) treatments and stroke prevention methods by VA hospitals, with commercial hospitals leading the way in incorporating new technologies.
Gray attributed the gap in technology adoption to budget unpredictability, staffing challenges, and procurement inefficiencies. He recommended modernizing processes to ensure veterans have access to the latest medical advancements. Jeff DiLullo of Philips highlighted the importance of ensuring VA hospitals have the funds, tools, and capabilities to deliver the best care to veterans in a timely manner.
Philips’ Rapid Analysis of Threat Exposure (RATE) technology, which uses artificial intelligence to detect early signs of infectious diseases, has shown promising results in a pilot with the Defense Department. DiLullo suggested that these technologies could be applied in VA hospital settings to improve health outcomes.
The VA is encouraged to modernize its infrastructure for seamless data sharing across facilities, the Defense Department, and clinicians within the community care network. Collaborative efforts between the Defense Department and the VA in adopting medical technologies have been proposed to enhance healthcare delivery for veterans.
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