Assessing Rural Veterans’ Experiences with a Tele-Nephrology Program in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA)

This evaluation represents an important step forward in how the VA can enhance virtual nephrology care to better meet the needs of rural veterans receiving care at facilities without VA specialty providers. Prior to the Choice and MISSION Acts, veterans were often required to drive long distances to the closest VA specialty provider. However, since the COVID-19 pandemic, the VA has been shifting care from the community to the VA via virtual care. Further research should examine veterans' experiences with different modalities of nephrology care as well as experiences of demographically and geographically diverse veterans.