Department of Gerontology, University of Massachusetts, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Soc Work Public Health. 2012;27(4):379-91. doi: 10.1080/19371910903176197.
Most Veterans elect not to use the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), even if eligible, or access the VHA system but rely on non-VHA providers as well. Given considerable cross-system use, failure to account for non-VHA care can bias conclusions about prevalence and incidence in utilization, diagnoses, and other characteristics. Furthermore, though dual VHA and non-VHA use provides Veterans with additional service options, it makes it difficult for VHA to ensure continuity of care. To better coordinate services, the VHA needs to construct the necessary health information bridges while widening the purview of case management programs. These changes are especially important in light of increased demand for care among younger Veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanstain and older Veterans who served in previous wars.
大多数退伍军人选择不使用退伍军人健康管理局（VHA），即使有资格使用，或者使用 VHA 系统，但也依赖非 VHA 提供者。鉴于大量跨系统使用，如果不考虑非 VHA 护理，可能会影响到使用率、诊断和其他特征的流行率和发生率的结论。此外，尽管双重使用 VHA 和非 VHA 为退伍军人提供了更多的服务选择，但这使得 VHA 难以确保护理的连续性。为了更好地协调服务，VHA 需要在扩大病例管理计划范围的同时，构建必要的健康信息桥梁。这些变化在伊拉克和阿富汗战争返回的年轻退伍军人以及在前几次战争中服役的老年退伍军人对护理需求增加的情况下显得尤为重要。
