Journal article
Use of the Veterans' Choice Program and Attrition From Veterans Health Administration Primary Care
Medical care, Vol.58(12), pp.1091-1097
12/01/2020
DOI: 10.1097/MLR.0000000000001401
PMID: 32925455
Abstract
Background: Concerns over timely access and waiting times for appointments in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) spurred the push towards greater privatization. In 2014, VHA increased the provision of care from community providers through the Veterans' Choice Program (Choice). Objectives: We examined the characteristics of patients and practices more likely to use Choice care and whether using Choice care affected patients' attrition from VHA primary care. Study Design: We conducted a longitudinal study of VHA primary care users in the fiscal year 2015 and their attrition 2 years later. In the multivariate analysis, we examined whether attrition from VHA primary care was related to prior use of Choice care. Subjects: A total of 1.4 million nonelderly patients diagnosed with chronic conditions. Measures: Choice outpatient care utilization was measured in the baseline year. Attrition was measured as not receiving any VHA primary care in 2 subsequent years. Results: In our cohort, 93,710 (7%) patients used some Choice outpatient care, and these patients were more likely to be female, White or Hispanic, to have more primary care utilization at baseline, and to have long driving distances to VHA care. Practices which sent more patients out for Choice care had lower mean scores for patient-centered medical home implementation and longer mean waiting times for appointments. In the adjusted analysis, the probability of attrition was significantly lower (-0.009) among patients who used Choice outpatient care (0.036) versus patients who did not (0.044) (P<0.001). Conclusion: The use of community outpatient providers in the Choice program was associated with less attrition from VHA primary care.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Use of the Veterans' Choice Program and Attrition From Veterans Health Administration Primary Care
- Creators
- Jean Yoon - VA Palo Alto Health Care SystemLucinda B. Leung - Department of Health ServicesLisa V. Rubenstein - Department of Health ServicesDanielle E. Rose - VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare SystemSusan E. Stockdale - Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human BehaviorPeter J. Kaboli - Iowa City VA Health Care SystemAdam Chow - VA Palo Alto Health Care System
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Medical care, Vol.58(12), pp.1091-1097
- Publisher
- Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
- DOI
- 10.1097/MLR.0000000000001401
- PMID
- 32925455
- ISSN
- 0025-7079
- eISSN
- 1537-1948
- Number of pages
- 7
- Grant note
- Office of Rural Health, Veterans Health Administration, US Department of Veterans Affairs; US Department of Veterans Affairs
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 12/01/2020
- Academic Unit
- Epidemiology; Internal Medicine
- Record Identifier
- 9984359672102771
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