Griffin Joan M, Malcolm Cari, Wright Pamela, Hagel Campbell Emily, Kabat Margaret, Bangerter Ann K, Sayer Nina A
Kern Center for the Science of Healthcare Delivery, and Division of Health Care Policy and Research, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st Avenue SW, Rochester, MN 55905. Care Management and Social Work Services, Veterans Health Administration, Washington, DC. Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research, Minneapolis VA Health Care Systems. Care Management and Social Work Services, Veterans Health Administration, Washington, DC. Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research, Minneapolis VA Health Care Systems. Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research, Minneapolis VA Health Care Systems, and University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.
Health Soc Work. 2017 May 1;42(2):e111-e119. doi: 10.1093/hsw/hlx016.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) established the national Caregiver Support Line (CSL) in February 2011. The CSL is operated by licensed master's degree social workers who provide caregivers of veterans with information about caregiver benefits and services, counseling, and referrals to a caregiver support coordinator at the nearest VA medical center. The authors compared differences in veteran health care utilization patterns in the six months before and after a caregiver call to the CSL, hypothesizing that veterans with caregivers using the CSL had improved access to health care services and improved access increased utilization of health care. A pre- and posttest design was used. CSL calls that resulted in referrals to VA health care services or to local VA caregiver support coordinators were included in the sample. Data were extracted from the CSL database and matched to veteran care utilization data using veteran medical record data. Veteran inpatient stays for general medicine, hospice, respite, and long-term care significantly increased after the CSL call, but other inpatient stays (surgery, neurology) did not. Outpatient services for home health, respite, and mental health all significantly increased. Caregivers' use of the national CSL may help facilitate access for veterans to needed care services.
美国退伍军人事务部（VA）于2011年2月设立了全国护理人员支持热线（CSL）。CSL由拥有硕士学位的持照社会工作者运营，他们为退伍军人的护理人员提供有关护理人员福利和服务的信息、咨询，并将其转介至最近的VA医疗中心的护理人员支持协调员处。作者比较了护理人员致电CSL前后六个月退伍军人医疗保健利用模式的差异，假设使用CSL的护理人员照顾的退伍军人获得医疗保健服务的机会增加，而获得机会的增加会提高医疗保健的利用率。采用了前后测试设计。导致转介至VA医疗保健服务或当地VA护理人员支持协调员的CSL来电被纳入样本。数据从CSL数据库中提取，并使用退伍军人医疗记录数据与退伍军人护理利用数据进行匹配。CSL来电后，退伍军人在普通内科、临终关怀、临时护理和长期护理方面的住院时间显著增加，但其他住院（手术、神经科）则没有。家庭保健、临时护理和心理健康方面的门诊服务均显著增加。护理人员使用全国CSL可能有助于促进退伍军人获得所需的护理服务。
