Veterans' Experiences With Outpatient Care: Comparing The Veterans Affairs System With Community-Based Care.

ABSTRACT: Timely access to outpatient care was a primary driver behind the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA's) increased purchase of community-based care under the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014, known as the Choice Act. To compare veterans' experiences in VA-delivered and community-based outpatient care after implementation of the act, we assessed veterans' scores on four dimensions of experience-access, communication, coordination, and provider rating-for outpatient specialty, primary, and mental health care received during 2016-17. Patient experiences were better for VA than for community care in all respects except access. For specialty care, access scores were better in the community; for primary and mental health care, access scores were similar in the two settings.

SUBMITTER: Vanneman ME 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10031805 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature