Five‐year trend in healthcare access and patient‐reported health outcomes among women veterans

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to describe the five-year trend in healthcare access, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and health outcomes in women Veterans.Methods: A retrospective, pooled, cross-sectional study design was employed. Fiveyear trend was assessed using 2013 and 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data. Bivariate, multivariable logistic regression, and ordinary least squares regression analyses were conducted.Results: A total of 6561 women Veterans, aged 18 to 64 years (3534 in 2013 and 3027 in 2017) were included. Compared to 2013, more women Veterans in 2017 reported increased healthcare insurance and decreased cost as a barrier to care.Women Veterans with health insurance were less likely to report cost as a barrier to care. There were no statistically significant differences in HRQoL in bivariate or ordinary least squares regression analyses between BRFSS years. Conclusion: Federal policy and Veterans Health Administration expansion have hadan impact on improving healthcare access to women Veterans. However, increased healthcare access alone does not translate into improved HRQoL or health outcomes for women Veterans. Future policies should not only focus on increasing healthcare access, but also improving health outcomes, especially HRQoL. The quality of the healthcare accessed must be a focus for future research and policy. K E Y W O R D Shealth insurance, HRQoL, trend, women Veterans

Gender differences in barriers to mental healthcare for UK military veterans: a preliminary investigation

“…In the US, the VHA continues implementing gender-sensitive/gender-specific mental health services, resulting in increased use of VHA services by women 30. While it is recognised that the structural differences between the mental healthcare provided to veterans in the US and UK (ie, dedicated federal services specifically for veterans in the US vs dedicated services within existing civilian support structures in the UK) make it difficult to directly transfer findings, parallel findings are beginning to emerge in relation to the experience of women during military service and the impact of this on help-seeking postdischarge.…”

‘Treat everyone like they're a man’: Stakeholder perspectives on the provision of health and social care support for female veterans in the UK

“…Furthermore, US female veterans report less satisfaction with veteran‐specific services (Wright et al., 2006 ) and are shown to underutilise these services compared with men (Thomas et al., 2017 ). In recognition of these issues, the VHA now operates 1700 facilities offering gender‐specific healthcare services (Congressional Research Service, 2020 ), which has resulted in increased utilisation of VHA services by women (Vance et al., 2020 ).…”

Exploring Barriers to Mental Health Treatment in the Female Veteran Population: A Qualitative Study

“…The data highlights key areas for further investigation and improvement to dismantling the barriers faced by UK female veterans. For example, the US has taken steps within Veteran Health Administration (VHA) services to implement gender-sensitive services that has increased the use of the VHA by female veterans (Vance et al, 2020). Although the UK has a different structure, it could look to implement similar gender-sensitive strategies particularly given the extra funding veteran services has received within the NHS (National Health Service England, 2016).…”