Perspectives of VA healthcare from rural women veterans not enrolled in or using VA healthcare.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Women Veterans have unique healthcare needs and often experience comorbid health conditions. Despite this, many women Veterans are not enrolled in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and do not use VHA services. Underutilization of VHA services may be particularly prevalent among rural women Veterans, who may experience unique barriers to using VHA care. Nonetheless, knowledge of rural women Veterans and their experiences remains limited. We sought to understand rural women Veterans' perceptions and needs related to VHA healthcare, including barriers to enrolling in and using VHA services, and perspectives on how to communicate with rural women Veterans about VHA services.

Methods

Rural women Veterans were recruited through community engagement with established

SUBMITTER: Rohs CM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10424869 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature