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VA Health Systems Research

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ACCENT Veteran and Caregiver Engagement Panel

Location: Leeds, Massachusetts

Affiliation: Access and Community Care Engagement Network Team

"I certainly appreciate the opportunity to give and provide input and critique if asked...[Our] lived experiences and our different perspectives as a cumulative group, I think, is really valuable for the researchers...I think that's what's been really rewarding and interesting to kind of see those different perspectives come together and be handed off in a meaningful way to hopefully make an impact in the future of these research studies."

– a Veteran member

Overview

The Access and Community Care Engagement Network Team (ACCENT) is a national collaborative network of VA researchers, leadership, and partners, aimed at fostering high-quality, high-impact, and Veteran-centered research on access and community care. Established in 2024, the ACCENT VCEP includes nine Veterans and caregivers from across the United States. They offer researchers advice, guidance, and feedback informed by their lived experience accessing VA and VA-purchased care.

The ACCENT VCEP meets every month on Webex and is open to HSR or QUERI-funded researchers whose studies focus on access to VA and community care.

Impact

  • ACCENT VCEP members value the diversity of opinions shared among the group and feel like a team.
    “NO one's trying to compete with anybody or make anybody convince anybody…I enjoy hearing everyone's different opinions cause it’s totally -- there's just doors that I don't see that are closed sometimes for some people and I appreciate hearing the perspectives even if it sounds challenging.” – ACCENT VCEP member.

Members felt like the panel provided them with a continuous learning opportunity and are eager to know more about how VA priorities are established, how funding is awarded, and how researchers across VA collaborate with one another.

  • Researchers who’ve worked with the ACCENT VCEP have appreciated the presenter preparation session offered by staff prior to meeting with the panel.
    “It was good to have a sense of who sits on the panel, and how the meeting would go. ACCENT staff asked great questions about the study and identified where I needed to be more clear, and they helped me focus the presentation on the core idea that I wanted feedback on. It felt collaborative and like being part of an ACCENT community, not just like I would be dropping in with no idea what to expect.” – Anna Zogas
  • Researchers report incorporating panel members’ feedback into the development of their studies, such as modifying methods, changing language to be more Veteran-centered, and thinking through methods of co-design.

“I believe they [VCEP members] provide important context and validity to the research. As a researcher, I view data on the back-end so it is important to check my assumptions and interpretations with Veterans who have lived experience. Engagement boards also help ensure the research design and questions are relevant and reflect Veterans' priorities.” – Kevin Griffith

Contact

To schedule a meeting with the ACCENT VCEP, contact Kenda.Steffensmeier@va.gov.

If you are a Veteran and/or Caregiver interested in joining the VCEP, contact Tony.Pomales@va.gov.


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.
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