Skip to main content

Military Health System

Test of Sitewide Banner

This is a test of the sitewide banner capability. In the case of an emergency, site visitors would be able to visit the news page for addition information.

New MHS Video Connect increases convenient access to care for patients

Image of Air Force Lt. Col. John A. DaLomba. Air Force Lt. Col. John A. DaLomba discusses the new MHS Video Connect and what it means for the MHS. (Photo by: Connected Health)

The following article is a first-person account by Air Force Lt. Col. John A. DaLomba, MHS GENESIS Patient Portal and MHS Video Connect solution owner at the Defense Health Agency Health Informatics Branch.

Patient empowerment and active engagement are paramount to improve health care.

The Military Health System's new MHS Video Connect allows patients to meet with their military health provider virtually through live video on any internet-connected device.

MHS Video Connect is an important step forward in providing virtual health capabilities that improve health outcomes and support military readiness. It's convenient, it's secure, and it's easy to use.

Most patients already have the devices to connect with their provider or care team and receive the care they need – without leaving their home or office. This makes virtual appointments easy to schedule and conduct. Additionally, MHS Video Connect helps reduce the time and costs related to medical treatment and travel while improving the efficiency and effectiveness of virtual health.

Open to all active-duty service members, their families, and retirees enrolled in a military medical treatment facility (MTF), this new web-based virtual health platform provides real-time access to care from almost anywhere and works with existing MHS medical processes and electronic health records. All continental United States-based hospitals and clinics expected to have this capability by the end of 2021.

Convenient and Secure

Making an appointment in MHS Video Connect is simple.

Patients can use the tools they currently use contact their assigned MTF's scheduling office or, depending on their facility, do it themselves online. Providers and their staffs must schedule the appointment through the Video Care Manager module of MHS Video Connect as well.

MHS Video Connect
"MHS Video Connect provides real-time access to care from almost anywhere." (Photo by Connected Health)

By clicking a link in a confirmation email that is sent the day the appointment was scheduled, patients can meet with their provider and care team in a secure private video treatment room unique to each appointment. Both patients and providers can add up to five guests to their appointments. This enables family members, loved ones, and medical specialists to be directly involved in supporting the patient and their treatment plan, all through a high-quality video connection.

In the Department of Defense, we have to balance convenience and ease of use with cybersecurity, which is essential to protecting our nation and those who serve it. MHS Video Connect is designed specifically for secure communications for military health care, as opposed to commercial teleconferencing or video teleconferencing platforms made for more general use.

The platform is a modified version of the Department of Veterans Affairs' video virtual health solution - VA Video Connect. We have incorporated additional cybersecurity features and vetting so patients and providers can feel confident that all personal health information transmitted through the system is secure.

Looking Forward

Development of MHS Video Connect began in the fall of 2020 and in March 2021 initial testing took place at nine locations in the continental U.S. and Alaska.

Recently, limited field evaluations have happened at three locations in Europe, one in Japan, and one in South Korea. All results have been promising and while there are some things we need to work on, we are looking forward to deploying MHS Video Connect overseas sooner than later.

Ultimately, the plan is to deploy MHS Video Connect in locations that may not have a provider or dedicated medical team. The goal is to provide care wherever patients are located, in both operational and garrison settings.

Our deployment team receives feedback from the sites using MHS Video Connect, and we optimize the system regularly based on it. We are constantly examining how we can improve MHS Video Connect to better meet patient and provider needs. For example, we identified that the clinical area that uses video virtual health the most is behavioral health, which frequently uses group appointments in treatment. Moving forward, we plan to continue upgrading MHS Video Connect with the capability to host larger group appointments.

Proactive partnerships with our patients and providers are essential for preparing for the next one to five years, when more health care is likely going to be delivered virtually. Many patients won't need to go to an actual building to receive every level of care unless a provider needs to physically examine them, retrieve samples for a lab, or perform some sort of imaging.

The Military Health System is planning for that future to help ensure it meets patients where they are and delivers world-class care as effectively as possible.

You also may be interested in...

Defense Occupational and Environmental Health Readiness System – Hearing Conservation (DOEHRS-HC)

Fact Sheet
5/8/2023

The Defense Occupational and Environmental Health Readiness System – Hearing Conservation (DOEHRS-HC) is an information system designed to support personal auditory readiness and help prevent hearing loss through early detection.

AHLTA 3.3

Fact Sheet
8/12/2022

AHLTA 3.3, a major component of the military’s electronic health record, is the primary clinical information system used by the military’s medical community to help generate, maintain, store and securely access data for 9.5 million beneficiaries.

Key Themes Digital Health Ethics

Fact Sheet
11/24/2021

This document outlines key themes and topics for providers applying ethics to the use of digital health technology in clinical practice.

Digital Health Competency Resource

Fact Sheet
7/23/2021

This reference provides information and links to online tools to aid MHS providers in maintaining competency in using digital health technology in clinical practice.

Cultural Humility for Providers

Fact Sheet
6/25/2021

This one page tip sheet provides cultural humility tips for MHS care providers.

Patient Accessible Notes Support Tool

Fact Sheet
5/26/2021

Clinical support tool to aid MHS providers in developing clinical notes that are understandable by patients.

Key Themes in Digital Ethics

Fact Sheet
2/16/2021

This fact sheet provides an overview of key themes in ethics related to the use of digital health in clinical practice.

Mobile Health Device Privacy and Security

Fact Sheet
2/16/2021

Tips and techniques for maintaining privacy and security of health information stored on mobile devices.

Solution Delivery Division

Fact Sheet
1/21/2021

The mission of Solution Delivery Division (SDD) is enhancing Health Service Delivery through exceptional Information and Technology.

TRICARE Online Patient Portal

Fact Sheet
12/21/2020

TRICARE Online Patient Portal (TOL) is the Department of Defense (DOD) online patient portal providing eligible beneficiaries access to military hospital and clinic appointing, prescription (Rx) refill, DOD PP Health Record personal health data, Secure Messaging, Service Separation/Retirement and Nurse Advice Line.

Essentris®

Fact Sheet
10/26/2020

The military’s inpatient electronic health record is used in acute hospital environments, providing point-of-care data capture at the patient’s bedside for physiological devices, fetal/uterine devices, ventilators and other patient care machines.

Composite Health Care System

Fact Sheet
10/26/2020

The Composite Health Care System (CHCS) allows clinicians to electronically perform patient appointment processes and scheduling, order laboratory tests, authorize radiology procedures and prescribe medications.

AHLTA Web Print

Fact Sheet
10/26/2020

AHLTA Web Print (AWP) is an application embedded in the AHLTA client workstation that provides the ability to print a patient’s entire AHLTA medical record or a subset, eliminating the need to print each AHLTA encounter or result separately.

TOL Patient Portal Secure Messaging

Fact Sheet
9/29/2020

TRICARE Online Patient Portal (TOLPP) Secure Messaging (SM) provides Military Health System patients who receive care at a military treatment facility or clinic access to a robust messaging capability, allowing authorized patients the ability to securely communicate with their health care team.

Special Needs Program Management Information System (SNPMIS)

Fact Sheet
8/15/2019

SNPMIS documents and reports on services provided to TRICARE patients with special needs.

Page 1 of 3 , showing items 1 - 15
First < 1 2 3 > Last 
Refine your search
Last Updated: March 20, 2023
Follow us on Instagram Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on YouTube Sign up on GovDelivery