• Rubenstein LV, Curtis I, Wheat CL, Grembowski DE, Stockdale SE, Kaboli PJ, Yoon J, Felker BL, Reddy AS, Nelson KM. Learning from national implementation of the Veterans Affairs Clinical Resource Hub (CRH) program for improving access to care: protocol for a six year evaluation. BMC health services research. 2023 Jul 25; 23(1):790.
• Kehne A, Bernstein SJ, Thomas J, Bicket MC, Bohnert ASB, Madden EF, Powell VD, Lagisetty P. Improving Access to Care for Patients Taking Opioids for Chronic Pain: Recommendations from a Modified Delphi Panel in Michigan. Journal of pain research. 2023 Jul 10; 16(1):2321-2330.
• Kaboli PJ, Shimada SL. A Decade of Focus on and Improvement in Access to Care in the Veterans Health Administration. Journal of general internal medicine. 2023 Jul 1; 38(Suppl 3):801-804.
• Mengeling MA, Torner JC, Smith JL, Cook BL, Sadler AG. Online Screening and Personalized Education to Identify Post-Deployment Mental Health Need and Facilitate Access to Care. Military medicine. 2022 Dec 13; DOI: 10.1093/milmed/usac379.
• Cusack M, Montgomery AE, Harris T, Roncarati J, Brecht T, Antonellis C, Byrne T, Tsai J, True G. Providers' reflections on infrastructure and improvements to promote access to care for Veterans experiencing housing instability in rural areas of the United States: A qualitative study. Health & Social Care in The Community. 2022 Nov 1; 30(6):e6356-e6365.

» View more Citations

• JGIM Special Issue on Improving Access to VA Care
  This special issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine titled “Veterans’ Access to Care” highlights recent advancements in access-related research and illustrates how VA has evolved in its ongoing journey to be a high-reliability organization using a learning healthcare system framework to improve access to care....
  
  Date: July 1, 2023
• VA Surgical Care Comparable or Better than Non-VA Surgical Care
  Investigators conducted a systematic review to compare VA and non-VA care for surgical conditions across domains of quality and safety, access, patient experience, and comparative cost/efficiency using studies published between 2015 and 2021 – following implementation of the Choice and MISSION Acts. Findings showed that in all but two studies, VA care had comparable or better quality and safety ou...
  
  Date: May 8, 2023
• Giving Veterans an Active Voice in Creating a Veteran-Centered Chronic Pain Research Agenda
  Veterans Action League (VAL) 2.0 was a two-year community engagement project (2019–2021) that sought to develop a national Veteran-centered chronic pain research agenda that includes Veteran-generated recommendations for chronic pain management and chronic pain research priorities. Findings showed that Veterans’ most frequently cited need for chronic pain management and treatment was better access...
  
  Date: March 23, 2023
• Early Expansion of Benefits under Choice Act Increased Community Hospital Use but Did Not Change Mortality
  This study examined changes in VA enrollees’ use of VA and non-VA hospitals from 2012-2017, as well as mortality associated with policies intended to increase access to care, such as the Choice Act. Findings showed that over the five-year study period, Veterans increased their use of community hospitals paid by VA and Medicaid and decreased their use of VA hospitals when access to non-VA care expa...
  
  Date: June 10, 2022
• Referral Coordination Team Improves Timeliness of VA Specialty Care Delivery and Patient Experience
  In 2018, the Office of Veterans Access to Care (OVAC) partnered with local providers at the VA Puget Sound Medical Center to pilot a referral coordination team to manage new referrals in sleep medicine. Investigators then compared the referral coordination team and the traditional specialist-led referral method in terms of timeliness and community care referrals. Findings showed that the referral ...
  
  Date: February 1, 2021

» View more Publication Briefs

» View more Studies

• Improving Care and Access for LGBTQ Veterans || In Progress

  ...health risks and unique challenges in accessing healthcare.2 For example, a recent...79% were satisfied with their medical care, and 69% were satisfied with their mental...investigations designed to improve clinical decision-making and care, inform patients...topics. In This Issue: Improving Care and Access for LGBTQ Veterans Overview: New

• Overview: VA Telehealth || In Progress

  The Anywhere to Anywhere VA Health Care Initiative, established in May 2018...healthcare providers to offer telehealth treatment to Veterans no matter where...Telehealth Overview The Anywhere to Anywhere VA Health Care Initiative, established in...healthcare providers to offer telehealth treatment to Veterans no matter where

• Screening for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Primary Care

  Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Primary Care...Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Primary Care 46 Screening for Post-Traumatic Stress...Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Primary Care: A Systematic Review Evidence-based Synthesis

• Advanced Wound Care Therapies for

  Advanced Wound Care Therapies for Non-Healing Diabetic, Venous, and Arterial...Advanced Wound Care Therapies for Department of Veterans Affairs Health Services...Program November 2012 Advanced Wound Care Therapies for Non-Healing Diabetic,

• Effects of Health Plan-Sponsored Fitness Center Benefits on Physical Activity, Health Outcomes, and Health Care Costs and Utilization:A Systematic Review

  Activity, Health Outcomes, and Health Care Costs and Utilization:A Systematic Review...Activity, Health Outcomes, and Health Care Costs and Utilization:A Systematic Review...Activity, Health Outcomes, and Health Care Costs and Utilization: A Systematic

» View more Publications

» View more Cyberseminars

Videos

• The Community Care Research Evaluation & Knowledge (CREEK) Center 05/05/23
• Exploring Access to Care for Transgender and Gender Diverse Veterans 03/28/23
• Understanding the Impact of Social Isolation on Older Veterans and Their Caregivers 03/13/23
• Virtual Healthcare—Evaluating VA’s Video Connect Program 02/26/20
• Using VA Care and and non-VA Care 02/12/20
• The Intersection of Precision Medicine and Health Disparities 01/18/18
• Evaluating Rural Veterans' Experience of Care 11/12/17

Podcasts

• VA Telehealth’s Widening Rural-Urban Divide During the COVID-19 Pandemic 03/09/2023
• Veterans' Experiences Using both Care in the Community and VA Care 07/27/2020
• Veterans' Voices: A Veteran's Experience of Working in VA Research 07/06/2020
• Participating in VA Research: A Veteran's Perspective 05/05/2020
• Veterans' Voices: Otis Kerr and Jim Goodwin 12/02/2019
• Veterans' Voices: Oliver Patrick 11/27/2019
• Expanding Access to Pain Care: Promoting Specialist and Primary Care Provider Networks with SCAN-ECHO 12/20/2018
• Challenges and Opportunities of Shifting Mandates and Culture Associated with the VA's Implementation of Veteran Access Initiatives 12/20/2018
• Justice Involved Veterans 06/24/2018
• Rural Transition Nurse Program 03/16/2018
• The Veterans Choice Act 06/26/2017

Other Resources

• Learn about the VHA's Priorities for Strategic Action in the area of Veteran Access to care
• Read the QUERI-funded Partnered Evidence-Based Policy Resource Center's Policy Brief about how economic and policy effects Veterans' access to care. 
• Learn more about what kinds of research questions are included within the HSR&D Access Portfolio.
• Read about projects to improve access included within the HSR&D Collaborative Research to Enhance and Advance Transformation (CREATE) initiative. 
• Veterans Rural Health Resource Centers