September 16, 2025
Integrating Technology with Heart to Address VHA’s Barriers to Care
Introduction to VHA’s Barriers to Care
Although many health IT companies emphasize the importance of human-centered design (HCD), it is too often overlooked in practice. This results in flawed systems, frustrated users, and critical gaps in care delivery. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has been met with criticism for long wait times, poor access to mental health services, challenges in rural areas, and confusing systems that are not intuitive or easy to use. These barriers are from a lack of HCD and have led to many veterans failing to get the timely and compassionate care they deserve. In this article, we examine these failures so we can discuss how a company like Health Information Technology Solutions (HITS), which focuses on empathy-driven innovation, measurable outcomes, accountability, and transparency, could have assisted in preventing these issues and reshaping healthcare for the better.
Addressing Accessibility Through HCD
One of the most consistent problems that the VHA faced was accessibility. For instance, veterans reported facing long wait times, having difficulty scheduling appointments, and even rural patients having trouble accessing systems. This is especially concerning for those seeking mental health care, as delays can leave veterans without crucial support. Additionally, these issues are a clear sign of poor system design and interfaces that were not tested thoroughly before implementation. A health IT company like HITS, which provides user research, collaborative prototyping, and user testing and validation, could have ensured that VHA platforms reflected real-world needs from the start. Furthermore, HITS understands the importance of active user engagement during the design process, and this would help make systems easier to navigate and more responsive to unique challenges faced by rural and underserved populations.
Creating Compassionate and Accountable Systems
Veterans often describe feeling dehumanized by healthcare experiences, often due to the lack of HCD. For instance, some feel like they’re treated as numbers rather than individuals with complex and diverse needs. Therefore, it doesn’t help that the VHA has faced criticism for having inconsistent data reporting, trouble measuring progress and feedback, and a general lack of accountability in addressing the much-needed fixes. These issues undermine patient trust and safety. HITS would address these challenges through its philosophy of “Technology With Heart”, which focuses on infusing empathy and emotional intelligence into every solution while also providing organizational governance expertise, such as strategic planning, data governance, and change management. This combination ensures that systems are not only compassionate but also transparent, accountable, and reliable. By integrating fairness, accountability, and project management, HTIS helps healthcare organizations deliver experiences and solutions that prioritize the human side of care while sustaining meaningful improvements over time. This increases trust and care quality for patients, resulting in better health outcomes.
Importance of Incorporating HCD
The challenges within the VHA highlight the dangers of neglecting HCD in healthcare. Unfortunately, veterans have paid the price of systems lacking HCD through delayed and inaccessible healthcare systems. However, by integrating the human touch back into technology by innovating with empathy, delivering measurable impact, and upholding ethical transparency, HTIS offers a solution that reimagines healthcare technology. Furthermore, by placing veterans at the center of design and by pushing for accountability, HCD can prevent these system failures and create healthcare systems that truly serve the people.
HITS
HITS provides healthcare management services & works with users to develop health informatics tools that promote safe and secure care. We believe technology must be designed with empathy and transparency. We understand the importance of human-centered design, governance, and healthcare management, and we use our expertise to deliver secure and collaborative solutions across military, federal, and commercial sectors. We take pride in our services and settle for nothing other than 100% quality solutions for our clients. Having the right team assist with data sharing is crucial to encouraging collaborative and secure care. If you’re looking for the right team that delivers technology with heart, HITS is it! You can reach out to us directly at info@healthitsol.com. Check out this link if you’re interested in having a 15-minute consultation with us: https://bit.ly/3RLsRXR.