Reasons Older Veterans Use the Veterans Health Administration and Non-VHA Care in an Urban Environment.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Older veterans in urban settings rely less on the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) health care, suggesting deficits of access and services for aging veterans. We aimed to identify reasons for VHA and non-VHA use across the health status of older, urban-dwelling veterans.

Methods

We examined open-ended responses from 177 veterans who were enrolled in primary care at the Bronx VA Medical Center, used non-VHA care in prior 2 years, and completed baseline interviews in a care coordination trial from March 2016 to August 2017. Using content analysis, we coded and categorized key terms and concepts into an established access framework. This framework included 5 categories: acceptability (relationship, second opinion), accessibility (distance, travel); affordability;

SUBMITTER: Augustine MR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9036939 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar-Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature