Randall Marjorie J
Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville Campus, TN 37212, USA.
Mil Med. 2012 Jan;177(1):11-6. doi: 10.7205/milmed-d-11-00226.
This study examined the effectiveness of Public Law 110-181, "National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2008, Title XVI-Wounded Warriors Matter," as it relates to health care for returning Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) combat veterans. Specifically, it examined the gap between the time an OEF/OIF combat service member left active service and subsequently obtained health care within the Veteran Affairs (VA) Healthcare System, and which factors influenced or impeded the veteran from obtaining health care sooner. Data were collected from 376 OEF/OIF combat veterans who sought health care at the Nashville or Murfreesboro VA Medical Centers. A questionnaire was designed exclusively for this study. The average time gap for an OEF/OIF combat veteran to transition from Department of Defense to VA health care was 3.83 months (SD 7.17). Twenty-six percent of respondents reported there were factors that impeded them from coming to the VA sooner. Factors included lack of knowledge about VA benefits, transportation/distance, perceptions of losing military career, seeking help as sign of weakness, and VA reputation. The study provided some evidence to support that Department of Defense and VA are meeting mandates for providing seamless transition of health care set forth by "Public Law 110-181, National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2008."
本研究考察了公法110 - 181号《2008财年国防授权法案，第十六编——受伤战士至关重要》在涉及为从持久自由行动和伊拉克自由行动（OEF/OIF）归来的作战退伍军人提供医疗保健方面的有效性。具体而言，研究考察了一名OEF/OIF作战服役人员离开现役并随后在退伍军人事务部（VA）医疗系统中获得医疗保健之间的时间间隔，以及哪些因素影响或阻碍退伍军人更快地获得医疗保健。数据收集自376名在纳什维尔或默弗里斯伯勒VA医疗中心寻求医疗保健的OEF/OIF作战退伍军人。专门为该研究设计了一份问卷。一名OEF/OIF作战退伍军人从国防部过渡到VA医疗保健的平均时间间隔为3.83个月（标准差为7.17）。26%的受访者表示存在阻碍他们更快前往VA的因素。这些因素包括对VA福利缺乏了解、交通/距离、对失去军事生涯的看法、将寻求帮助视为软弱的表现以及VA的声誉。该研究提供了一些证据来支持国防部和VA正在满足公法110 - 181号《2008财年国防授权法案》所规定的提供无缝医疗保健过渡的要求。
