Veterans and Families Institute for Military Social Research, Anglia Ruskin University, Chelmsford, UK
Veterans and Families Institute for Military Social Research, Anglia Ruskin University, Chelmsford, UK.
BMJ Mil Health. 2022 Feb;168(1):34-37. doi: 10.1136/jramc-2019-001288. Epub 2020 Feb 27.
The transfer of care between different health and social care systems are often associated with poor outcomes and disengagement. Indeed, following the transition from military to civilian life, ex-service personnel report difficulties in navigating civilian health and social care services. Personal healthcare records are associated with a number of benefits, including improved continuity of care and patient empowerment. As such, this pilot project aimed to assess the benefits of the Veterans Universal Passport (VUP) in supporting UK ex-service personnel accessing NHS services.
In-depth semi-structured interviews were carried out with eight participants (three ex-service personnel, two carers, three health and social care professionals) who had used the VUP. Interviews explored the benefits, challenges and unmet needs associated with the VUP. A thematic analysis was used to identify themes within this framework.
Participants felt that the VUP improved continuity of care and promoted a feeling of control over care. The military-specific nature of the VUP promoted a sense of identity and provided a 'support scaffold' for navigating the complexities of the civilian healthcare system. Challenges included awareness among health and social care professionals, and engagement of users. All participants suggested development into a digital application.
Findings suggest that the VUP had a positive impact on veterans' access to civilian health and social care services, highlighting that it provided a much-needed structure to their journey through treatment. Considering the parallels with other health and social care transitions, translation for other populations may be beneficial.
在不同的医疗和社会保健系统之间进行医疗转移往往与不良结果和脱轨有关。事实上，退伍军人从军队生活过渡到平民生活后，报告在使用平民医疗和社会保健服务方面存在困难。个人医疗记录与许多好处相关，包括改善医疗连续性和患者赋权。因此，该试点项目旨在评估 Veterans Universal Passport（VUP）在支持英国退伍军人使用 NHS 服务方面的好处。
对 8 名使用过 VUP 的参与者（3 名退伍军人、2 名护理人员、3 名卫生和社会保健专业人员）进行了深入的半结构化访谈。访谈探讨了 VUP 相关的好处、挑战和未满足的需求。使用主题分析方法在该框架内确定主题。
参与者认为 VUP 改善了医疗连续性，并促进了对护理的控制感。VUP 的军事特殊性促进了身份认同感，并为退伍军人在平民医疗保健系统的复杂性中提供了“支持架构”。挑战包括卫生和社会保健专业人员的意识以及用户的参与。所有参与者都建议将其发展为数字应用程序。
研究结果表明，VUP 对退伍军人获得平民医疗和社会保健服务产生了积极影响，强调它为他们的治疗之旅提供了急需的结构。考虑到与其他医疗和社会保健过渡的相似性，为其他人群进行翻译可能会有所帮助。
