Wahlen VA Medical Center

George E. Wahlen VA Medical Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, provides comprehensive health services to U.S. military veterans. With departments dedicated to mental health, rehabilitation, long-term care, and outpatient medicine, Wahlen serves as a regional leader in veteran-centered care. Many patients live far from the hospital or face mobility issues, so virtual care and video calls are increasingly a key part of delivering timely support.

The Limits of Traditional Video Calls in Healthcare

Wahlen’s healthcare providers are responsible for more than delivering diagnoses - they guide lifestyle change, monitor mental health, and build long-term relationships. When these conversations shift to telehealth video calls, it becomes harder to engage patients fully. Without natural eye contact or physical presence, key information can be missed, forgotten, or misunderstood. The team at Wahlen recognized this barrier and looked for ways to increase focus and retention during remote sessions, particularly for patients managing multiple chronic conditions or those navigating emotionally difficult treatments.

It lets me speak naturally during consultations without worrying about eye contact and I'm seeing better engagement. 

Health Coach, Wahlen VA Medical Center

Why Eye Contact Matters in Virtual Care

Numerous studies have demonstrated that maintaining eye contact improves human communication. In healthcare settings, it strengthens trust and increases patient recall of important information. This is especially critical in remote care, where distractions are higher and emotional context is harder to read. For providers like those at Wahlen, that can mean the difference between a patient recalling key instructions - or forgetting them entirely. 

It is crucial for healthcare professionals to prioritize maintaining eye contact with patients, as it has been shown to significantly improve communication and trust. When patients remember more of what their provider says, the benefits multiply: they’re more likely to follow instructions, adhere to prescriptions, and stay actively involved in their care. 

For health coaches at Wahlen, who work closely with patients on behavioral change, better recall leads to more effective conversations and stronger long-term health habits. This memory boost isn’t about gimmicks - it’s grounded in how the brain processes and stores verbal information. Visual focus, like sustained eye contact, helps anchor that information. In fact a 2019 study by the American Association of Medicine. showed eye contact to increase memory retention by up to 39%. The iContact Camera makes it easy to introduce this dynamic into virtual healthcare without changing how providers work or adding friction to the patient experience. 

Maintaining eye contact was shown to increase memory retention by up to 39%.

A Plug-and-Play Solution for Care Teams

The Wahlen team didn’t need additional software, training, or setup. With plug-and-play compatibility and a lightweight form factor, the iContact Camera integrated seamlessly into their workflow. It gave providers a subtle but powerful upgrade - one that helped bring warmth and clarity back to the screen. As healthcare continues to shift into hybrid and remote models, simple tools that improve the quality of virtual communication will be essential. At Wahlen Medical Center, the iContact Camera is already helping care teams make every video call more personal, more memorable, and more effective.