185746 Rural Veterans: State of the Science and Future Directions

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Ryung Suh, MD MPH MPP MBA , Department of Health Systems Administration, SNHS, Georgetown University, Washington, DC
Jaspal Ahluwalia, MD, MPH , Department of Health Systems Administration, SNHS, Georgetown University, Washington, DC
Richard Hartman, PhD , Office of the Assistant Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Policy and Planning, Veterans Health Administration, Washington, DC
Sarah Johnson , Department of Health Systems Administration, SNHS, Georgetown University, Washington, DC
Kara Hawthorne, MSW , Office of Rural Health, Veterans Health Administration, Washington, DC
Access to a full and comprehensive spectrum of quality health care services is the central challenge facing many rural communities; unique veterans' rural health needs, especially among returning OEF/OIF veterans, may present additional challenges. Several observational studies have suggested that rural veterans face disparities in both health status (primarily quality-of-life measures) and utilization (perhaps reflective of access or payer-mix issues). The disease burden among rural veterans appears to be high, with particular challenges in mental health and long-term care. The published literature suggests that greater travel distances and financial barriers to access are likely to impede access, undermine coordination, and threaten quality of care for many rural veterans. The VA continues to employ a number of strategies to more effectively serve rural veterans. Evaluations of these approaches in the published literature suggest that, while practice patterns may differ in rural settings, the expansion of Community-Based Outpatient Clinics, Outreach Clinics, and Care Coordination Home Telehealth approaches are effective strategies for improving access. This session reviews the published literature on rural veterans and supplements this with perspectives gathered from structured interviews conducted over two months with rural health experts. The session lays out what we know about veterans in rural and frontier settings, outlines potential research directions, possible strategies for improving care for rural veterans, and updates the actions and progress of the VA's Office of Rural Health.

Learning Objectives:
Review findings from the published literature about rural veterans, the health care challenges they face, and the effectiveness of current strategies Explore potential research directions and possible strategies for improving health care for rural veterans Discuss the actions and progress of the VA's Office of Rural Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I reviewed and participated in planning and research activities, to include a literature review, structured interviews, internal VA review, and environmental scan for the VA Office of Rural Health, as well as contributed to the Office of Rural Health strategic plan.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.