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

HSR&D Citation Abstract

Search | Search by Center | Search by Source | Keywords in Title

Residential mobility among patients in the VA health system: associations with psychiatric morbidity, geographic accessibility, and continuity of care

McCarthy JF, Valenstein M, Blow FC. Residential mobility among patients in the VA health system: associations with psychiatric morbidity, geographic accessibility, and continuity of care. Administration and policy in mental health. 2007 Sep 1; 34(5):448-55.

Dimensions for VA is a web-based tool available to VA staff that enables detailed searches of published research and research projects.

If you have VA-Intranet access, click here for more information vaww.hsrd.research.va.gov/dimensions/

VA staff not currently on the VA network can access Dimensions by registering for an account using their VA email address.    Search Dimensions for VA for this citation
* Don't have VA-internal network access or a VA email address? Try searching the free-to-the-public version of Dimensions


Abstract:

This paper reports on residential mobility among patients treated in the Veterans Affairs (VA) health system. We examine mobility in relation to patients'' psychiatric disorders, and we assess the impact of mobility on health system geographic accessibility and continuity of care following inpatient discharge. Subjects included 534,002 patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, or with none of these conditions, who received VA services in both FY 01 and FY 02. We report the frequency and predictors of residential moves; we examine distance moved and changes in the proximity of VA providers; and we evaluate associations with timely receipt of outpatient care following inpatient discharges. Approximately 25% of patients with bipolar disorder, 20% with schizophrenia, 16% with depression, and 9% of patients without these conditions completed a residential move in FY 2002. When relocating, patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder were more likely to move closer to providers, suggesting greater sensitivity to accessibility barriers.




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.