Talk to the Veterans Crisis Line now
U.S. flag
An official website of the United States government
Veterans Benefits and Health Care About VA Find a VA Location

VA Health Systems Research

Go to the VA ORD website
Go to the QUERI website
FORUM - Translating research into quality health care for Veterans


In This Issue

Director's Letter

Director's Letter
by Martin Charns, DBA , Acting Director of HSR&D

With the Veterans' Choice Act, VA is becoming a significant purchaser of care in addition to its historical role as the largest integrated healthcare delivery system in the United States. This emerging role presents two challenges that researchers can help to answer...

Commentary

Transforming VA Care to Improve the Veteran Experience
by Baligh Yehia, MD, MPP, MSc, Assistant Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Community Care, Washington, DC

During the last few years, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has faced challenges meeting the evolving needs of Veterans and the growing demand for care. To address these challenges, VA is adopting modern healthcare models, including telemedicine, home-based care, and a stronger emphasis on building partnerships in the community...

Response to Commentary

A Research Agenda to Support VA's Transformation
by Austin Frakt, PhD, VA Boston Healthcare System, and Steven Pizer, PhD, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts

Passage of the Veterans Access, Accountability and Choice Act of 2014 initiated a VA metamorphosis with few precedents. As it continues to serve a population that is broadly diverse in age, income, and healthcare needs, VA is transforming from a provider of care to both a provider and purchaser. Moreover, it is doing so during a period of tremendous change across the broader U.S. healthcare system. These changes challenge the VA and translate into parallel challenges for researchers and the research infrastructure on which they rely...

Research Highlights

Improving Communication for Veterans who Receive Care from Community Providers
by Carolyn Turvey, PhD, Dawn Klein, MSW, both with HSR&D's Center for Comprehensive Access and Delivery Research and Evaluation, Iowa City VA Health Care System, and Kim Nazi, PhD, FACHE, Veterans and Consumers Health Informatics Office, Office of Connected Care

Recent legislation such as the Veterans Access, Accountability and Choice Act of 2014, signals that VA will increasingly act as a purchaser of healthcare. Even before enactment of the Choice Act, dual use—when Veterans seek care from both VA and community providers—was prevalent, with estimates ranging from 30 to 75 percent...


Use of VA and Non-VA Care and Information Exchange between Sites
by William W. Hung, MD, MPH, Vinay Das, MD, Daniel Sun, Shatice Jones, Lee Stefanis, and Kenneth Boockvar, MD, MS, all with the James J Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, New York and the VA Hudson Valley Health Care System, Wappingers Falls, New York

Prior studies demonstrate that a large proportion of Veterans access multiple systems for care, yet Veterans who use both VA and non-VA services (dual care) are at increased risk of adverse events, especially during transitions of care when changes in medication and plan of care may occur without the knowledge of VA physicians...


Measuring Quality of Care in the Era of Veterans' Choice
by Sameer D. Saini, MD, MS, Timothy P. Hofer, MD, MSc, Mandi L. Klamerus, MPH, and Eve A. Kerr, MD, MPH, all with the HSR&D Center for Clinical Management Research, Ann Arbor, Michigan

In the 1990s, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) underwent a radical transformation, from a health system widely derided for its poor quality to "the best care anywhere."1 Central to this transformation were efforts to measure and track quality of care.2 Today, VHA has the most extensive tracking and reporting system of any healthcare system in the country, and perhaps the world. However, the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (also referred to as the Veterans Choice Act or VCA) has created substantial challenges for monitoring quality of care...


Should VHA "Make or Buy" Elective Coronary Revascularization Procedures?
by Paul G. Barnett, PhD, Health Economics Resource Center and the Center for Innovation to Implementation, VA Palo Alto Health Care System and Thomas M. Maddox, MD, MSc, National Director, VA Clinical Assessment, Reporting, and Tracking (CART) Program

The VA Patient-Centered Community Care (PC3) program provides Veterans with care that is not available from a nearby VA provider. We are completing an HS&RD supported study of the quality, access, and costs of elective coronary revascularization procedures to assess how VA care compares to care purchased by VA...




Questions about the HSR website? Email the Web Team

Any health information on this website is strictly for informational purposes and is not intended as medical advice. It should not be used to diagnose or treat any condition.