scholarly journals A Survey of Glaucoma Surgery Practice Patterns in the Veterans Health Administration

2020 ◽  
Vol 185 (7-8) ◽  
pp. e972-e976
Author(s):  
Daniel J Olivieri ◽  
Mary G Lynch ◽  
Glenn C Cockerham ◽  
Paul B Greenberg
Keyword(s):  
Practice Patterns ◽  
Surgical Care ◽  
Glaucoma Surgery ◽  
Veterans Health Administration ◽  
The United States ◽  
Veterans Health ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Laser Trabeculoplasty ◽  
Phone Calls ◽  
Veterans Affairs Medical Centers

Abstract Introduction Glaucoma surgical practice patterns are not well described in the United States (US). This study aims to evaluate the indications for and potential barriers to glaucoma surgery in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Materials and Methods An anonymous 10-question survey using REDCap (Nashville, TN) software was sent by mail (with web link) and email to ophthalmology chiefs at the 86 academically affiliated Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMCs). Academic-affiliated VAMCs were selected because of their patient range and role in ophthalmic education. Non-responders received two reminder e-mails and two phone calls; the survey was closed after 6 weeks. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results The response rate was 45% (39/86). Most respondents (92%) worked in an integrated eye clinic with both ophthalmology and optometry services. Almost half of the respondents (49%; 19/39) believed that laser trabeculoplasty (LTP) was an option for initial glaucoma therapy. Noncompliance was a commonly reported indication for LTP (95%), tube shunt procedures (65%), micro-invasive glaucoma surgery (59%), and trabeculectomy (48.7%). One third of the respondents believed that there were delays in glaucoma care. The respondents noted that significant barriers in access to surgery included lack of transportation (69%), scheduling challenges (62%), and delayed referral (62%). Conclusion This survey of glaucoma surgery practice patterns highlights the growing role of LTP and suggests that non-compliance and access remain significant barriers to glaucoma surgical care within the VHA.

Cataract surgery practice patterns in the United States Veterans Health Administration

2012 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 705-709 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul B. Greenberg ◽  
Annika Havnaer ◽  
Thomas A. Oetting ◽  
Francisco J. Garcia-Ferrer
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Cataract Surgery ◽  
Practice Patterns ◽  
Veterans Health Administration ◽  
The United States ◽  
Veterans Health ◽  
Health Administration

scholarly journals Purchasing Quality Nursing Home Care in the Veterans Health Administration

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Orna Intrator ◽  
Edward Alan Miller ◽  
Portia Y Cornell ◽  
Cari Levy ◽  
Christopher W Halladay ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
Veterans Affairs ◽  
Nursing Home Care ◽  
Veterans Health ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Star Rating ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Veterans Affairs Medical Centers ◽  
And Performance

Abstract Background and Objectives U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMCs) contract with nursing homes (NHs) in their community to serve Veterans. This study compares the characteristics and performance of Veterans Affairs (VA)-paid and non-VA-paid NHs both nationally and within local VAMC markets. Research Design and Methods VA-paid NHs were identified, characterized, and linked to VAMC markets using data drawn from VA administrative files. NHs in the United States in December 2015 were eligible for the analysis, including. 1,307 VA-paid NHs and 14,253 non-VA-paid NHs with NH Compare measures in 128 VAMC markets with any VA-paid NHs. Measurements were derived from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) five-star rating system, NH Compare. Results VA-paid NHs had more beds, residents per day, and were more likely to be for-profit relative to non-VA-paid NHs. Nationally, the average CMS NH Compare star rating was slightly lower among VA-paid NHs than non-VA-paid NHs (3.05 vs. 3.21, p = .04). This difference was seen in all 3 domains: inspection (3.11 vs. 3.23, p < .001), quality (2.68 vs. 2.83, p < .001), and total nurse staffing (3.36 vs. 3.42, p < .10). There was wide variability across VAMC markets in the ratio of average star rating of VA-paid and non-VA-paid NHs (mean ratio = 0.93, interquartile range = 0.78–1.08). Discussion and Implications With increased community NH use expected following the implementation of the MISSION Act, comparison of the quality of purchased services to other available services becomes critical for ensuring quality, including for NH care. Methods presented in this article can be used to examine the quality of purchased care following the MISSION Act implementation. In particular, dashboards such as that for VA-paid NHs that compare to similar non-VA-paid NHs can provide useful information to quality improvement efforts.

Transformation of the US Veterans Health Administration

2006 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan B. Perlin
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Veterans Health Administration ◽  
The United States ◽  
Veterans Affairs ◽  
United States Department ◽  
Veterans Health ◽  
Department Of Veterans Affairs ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
The Us

Ten years ago, it would have been hard to imagine the publication of an issue of a scholarly journal dedicated to applying lessons from the transformation of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs Health System to the renewal of other countries' national health systems. Yet, with the recent publication of a dedicated edition of the Canadian journal Healthcare Papers (2005), this actually happened. Veterans Affairs health care also has been similarly lauded this past year in the lay press, being described as ‘the best care anywhere’ in the Washington Monthly, and described as ‘top-notch healthcare’ in US News and World Report's annual health care issue enumerating the ‘Top 100 Hospitals’ in the United States (Longman, 2005; Gearon, 2005).

scholarly journals Implementation evaluation of academic detailing on naloxone prescribing trends at the United States Veterans Health Administration

2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (5) ◽  
pp. 1055-1064 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Bounthavong ◽  
Emily Beth Devine ◽  
Melissa L. D. Christopher ◽  
Michael A. Harvey ◽  
David L. Veenstra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Veterans Health Administration ◽  
The United States ◽  
Veterans Health ◽  
Academic Detailing ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Implementation Evaluation ◽  
Prescribing Trends

scholarly journals Testing practices and incidence of chlamydial and gonococcal infection in the Veterans Health Administration, 2009-2019

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren A Beste ◽  
Marissa M Maier ◽  
Joleen Borgerding ◽  
Elliott Lowy ◽  
Ronald G Hauser ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Groups ◽  
Veterans Health Administration ◽  
The United States ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
Veterans Health ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Hiv Status ◽  
Demographic Group ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Testing Practices

Abstract Background Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae cases reached a record high in the United States in 2018. Although active duty military servicemembers have high rates of chlamydia and gonorrhea infection, trends in chlamydia and gonorrhea in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) system have not been previously described, including among patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and young women. Methods We identified all Veterans in VHA care from 2009-2019. Tests and cases of chlamydia and gonorrhea were defined based on lab results in the electronic health record. Chlamydia and gonorrhea incidence rates were calculated each year by demographic group and HIV status. Results In 2019, testing for chlamydia and gonorrhea occurred in 2.3% of patients, 22.6% of women ages 18-24, and 34.1% of persons with HIV. 2019 incidence of chlamydia and gonorrhea was 100.8 and 56.3 cases per 100,000 VHA users, an increase of 267% and 294%, respectively, since 2009. Veterans aged <34 years accounted for 9.5% of the VHA population but 66.9% of chlamydia and 42.9% of gonorrhea cases. Chlamydia and gonorrhea incidence rates in persons with HIV were 1,432 and 1,687 per 100,000, respectively. Conclusions The incidence of chlamydia and gonorrhea rose dramatically from 2009-2019. Among tested persons, those with HIV had a 15.2-fold higher unadjusted incidence of chlamydia and 34.9-fold higher unadjusted incidence of gonorrhea compared to those without HIV. VHA-wide adherence to chlamydia and gonorrhea testing in high-risk groups merits improvement.

scholarly journals 1164. County-Level Geographic Distribution of Extended-Spectrum Cephalosporin-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae Across Outpatient Settings of the Veterans Health Administration, 2000–2017

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (suppl_1) ◽  
pp. S350-S351
Author(s):  
Michihiko Goto ◽  
Rajeshwari Nair ◽  
Daniel Livorsi ◽  
Marin Schweizer ◽  
Michael Ohl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Veterans Health Administration ◽  
The United States ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
County Level ◽  
Veterans Health ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Geographic Variability ◽  
Extended Spectrum ◽  
Outpatient Settings

Abstract Background Extended-spectrum cephalosporin resistance (ESCR) among Enterobacteriaceae has emerged globally over the last two decades, with increased prevalence in the community. Data from European countries and healthcare-associated isolates in the United States have demonstrated substantial geographic variability in the prevalence of ESCR, but community-onset isolates in the United States have been less studied. We aimed to describe geographic distribution and spread of ESCR among outpatient settings across the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) over 18 years. Methods We analyzed a retrospective cohort of all patients who had any positive clinical culture specimen for ESCR Enterobacteriaceae collected in an outpatient setting; ESCR was defined by phenotypic nonsusceptibility to at least one extended-spectrum cephalosporin agent or detection of an extended-spectrum β-lactamase. Patient-level data were grouped by county of residence, and the total number of unique patients who received care within VHA for each county was used as a denominator. We aggregated data by time terciles (2000–2005, 2006–2011, and 2012–2017), and overall and county-level incidence rates were calculated as the number of unique patients in each year with ESCR Enterobacteriaceae per person-year. Results During the study period, there were 1,980,095 positive cultures for Enterobacteriaceae from 870,797 unique patients across outpatient settings of VHA, from a total of 107,404,504 person-years. Among those, 136,185 cultures (6.9%) from 75,500 unique patients (8.7%) were ESCR. The overall incidence rate was 9.0 cases per 10,000 person-years, which increased from 6.3 per 10,000 person-years in 2000 to 14.6 per 10,000 person-years in 2017. County-level incidence rates ranged widely but increased overall (interquartile range [IQR] in 2000–2005: 0–6.7; 2006–2011: 0–9.1; 2012–2017: 3.1–14.3 per 10,000 person-years), with some geographic clustering (figure). Conclusion This study demonstrates that there has been geographic variation both in incidence rates and trends of ESCR Enterobacteriaceae in outpatient settings of VHA, which suggests the importance of tailoring local antibiotic-prescribing guidelines incorporating geographic variability in epidemiology. Disclosures M. Ohl, Gilead Sciences, Inc.: Grant Investigator, Research grant.

Value Creation in Public Enterprises: An Empirical Analysis of Coordinated Organizational Changes in the Veterans Health Administration

2007 ◽  
Vol 82 (2) ◽  
pp. 483-520 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Thibodeau ◽  
John H. (Harry) Evans ◽  
Nandu J. Nagarajan ◽  
Jeff Whittle
Keyword(s):  
Private Sector ◽  
Organizational Structure ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Program Planning ◽  
Veterans Health Administration ◽  
The United States ◽  
Veterans Health ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Public Enterprises ◽  
Remaining Capacity

As part of a federal government initiative to increase efficiency and quality, in 1996 the United States Veterans Health Administration (VHA) radically restructured its organizational design and management processes. This study uses 1992–1998 clinical, workload, and financial data to examine the effect of this reform on performance. Several previous government attempts to introduce private sector management practices, such as management by objectives (MBO) or program planning and budgeting system (PPBS), have been largely unsuccessful. In contrast to prior reforms, the current restructuring introduced coordinated changes in the VHA organizational structure, performance measurement, and reward systems. Our results document that, following the reorganization, the VHA cost per patient declined significantly and various quality measures improved. Our analysis suggests that reduction in excess capacity and the more intense use of remaining capacity are among the primary explanations for the VHA achieving the observed cost reductions. These findings suggest that coordinated changes in organizational structure, performance measures, and incentives can create value for public enterprises even though control mechanisms are generally more limited in these environments than in the private sector.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document