Social determinants of mental health care systems: intensive community based Care in the Veterans Health Administration

Abstract Background: Since deinstitutionalization in the 1950s-1970s, public mental health care has changed its focus from asylums to general hospitals, outpatient clinics and specialized community-based programs addressing both clinical and social determinants of mental health. Analysis of the place of community-based programs within a comprehensive health system such as the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) may illuminate the role of social forces in shaping contemporary public mental health systems. Methods: National VHA administrative data were used to compare veterans who exclusively received outpatient clinic care to those receiving four types of specialized community-based services, addressing: 1) functional disabilities from severe mental illness (SMI), 2) justice system involvement, 3) homelessness, and 4) vocational rehabilitation. Bivariate comparisons and multinomial logistic regression analyses compared groups on demographics, diagnoses, service use, and psychiatric prescription fills. Results: An hierarchical classification of 1,386,487 Veterans who received specialty mental health services from VHA in Fiscal Year 2012, showed 1,134,977 (81.8%) were seen exclusively in outpatient clinics; 27,931 (2.0 %) received intensive SMI-related services; 42,985 (3.1%) criminal justice services; 160,273 (11.6%) specialized homelessness services; and 20,921 (1.5%) vocational services. Compared to those seen only in clinics, veterans in the four community treatment groups were more likely to be black, diagnosed with HIV and hepatitis, had more numerous substance use diagnoses and made far more extensive use of mental health outpatient and inpatient care. Conclusions: Almost one-fifth of VHA mental health patients receive community-based services prominently addressing major social determinants of health and multimorbid substance use disorders.

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Appropriateness of Direct Oral Anticoagulant Dosing in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: Insights From the Veterans Health Administration

Journal of Pharmacy Practice ◽

10.1177/0897190019828270 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 33 (5) ◽

pp. 647-653 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

George C. Leef ◽

Alexander C. Perino ◽

Mariam Askari ◽

Jun Fan ◽

P. Michael Ho ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Atrial Fibrillation ◽

Health Care ◽

Health Care Systems ◽

Oral Anticoagulants ◽

Veterans Health Administration ◽

Veterans Health ◽

Health Administration ◽

Anticoagulation Management ◽

Management Interventions ◽

Care Systems

Background: Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have strict dosing guidelines, but recent studies indicate that inappropriate dosing is common, particularly in chronic kidney disease (CKD), for which it has been reported to be as high as 43%. Since 2011, the Veterans Health Administration (VA) has implemented anticoagulation management programs for DOACs, generally led by pharmacists, which has previously been shown to improve medication adherence. Objective: We investigated the prevalence of overdosing and underdosing of DOACs in the VA. Methods: Using data from the TREAT-AF cohort study (The Retrospective Evaluation and Assessment of Therapies in AF), we identified VA patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation (AF) and receipt of a DOAC between 2003 and 2015. We classified dosing as correct, overdosed, or underdosed based on the Food and Drug Administration–approved dosing criteria. Results: Of 230 762 patients, 5060 received dabigatran (77.3%) or rivaroxaban (22.7%) within 90 days of AF diagnosis (age 69 [10[ years; CHA2DS2-VASc 1.6 [1.4]), of which 1312 (25.9%) had CKD based on estimated glomerular filtration rate <60. Overall, 93.6% of patients, 83.2% with CKD, received appropriate DOAC dosing. Incorrect dosing increased with worsening renal function. Conclusion: Compared to recent studies of commercial payers and health-care systems, incorrect dosing of DOACs is less common across the VA. Pharmacist-led DOAC management or similar anticoagulation management interventions may reduce the risk of incorrect dosing across health-care systems.

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Social Determinants of Mental Health Care Systems: Intensive Community Based Care in The Veterans Health Administration

10.21203/rs.3.rs-21906/v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Ish P Bhalla ◽

Elina A Stefanovics ◽

Robert A Rosenheck

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Social Determinants ◽

Public Mental Health ◽

Veterans Health Administration ◽

Outpatient Clinics ◽

Veterans Health ◽

Health Administration ◽

Community Based ◽

Community Based Programs ◽

Community Based Services

Abstract Background: Since deinstitutionalization in the 1950s-1970s, public mental health care has changed its focus from asylums to general hospitals, outpatient clinics and specialized community-based programs addressing both clinical and social determinants of mental health. Analysis of the place of community-based programs within a comprehensive health system such as the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) may illuminate the role of social forces in shaping contemporary public mental health systems. Methods: National VHA administrative data were used to compare veterans who exclusively received outpatient clinic care to those receiving four types of specialized community-based services, addressing: 1) functional disabilities from severe mental illness (SMI), 2) justice system involvement, 3) homelessness, and 4) vocational rehabilitation. Bivariate comparisons and multinomial logistic regression analyses compared groups on demographics, diagnoses, service use, and psychiatric prescription fills. Results: An hierarchical classification of 1,386,487 Veterans who received specialty mental health services from VHA in Fiscal Year 2012, showed 1,134,977 (81.8%) were seen exclusively in outpatient clinics; 27,931 (2.0 %) received intensive SMI-related services; 42,985 (3.1%) criminal justice services; 160,273 (11.6%) specialized homelessness services; and 20,921 (1.5%) vocational services. Compared to those seen only in clinics, veterans in the four community treatment groups were more likely to be black, diagnosed with HIV and hepatitis, had more numerous substance use diagnoses and made far more extensive use of mental health outpatient and inpatient care. Conclusions: Almost one-fifth of VHA mental health patients receive community-based services prominantly addressing major social determinants of health and multimorbid substance use disorders.

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What Should Health Care Systems Consider When Implementing Complementary and Integrative Health: Lessons from Veterans Health Administration

The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine ◽

10.1089/acm.2018.0445 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 25 (S1) ◽

pp. S52-S60 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Stephanie L. Taylor ◽

Rendelle Bolton ◽

Alexis Huynh ◽

Kelly Dvorin ◽

A. Rani Elwy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Systems ◽

Veterans Health Administration ◽

Veterans Health ◽

Health Administration ◽

Integrative Health ◽

Care Systems

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Social Determinants of Mental Health Care Systems: Intensive Community Based Care in The Veterans Health Administration

10.21203/rs.3.rs-21906/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Ish P Bhalla ◽

Elina A Stefanovics ◽

Robert A Rosenheck

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Social Determinants ◽

Public Mental Health ◽

Veterans Health Administration ◽

Outpatient Clinics ◽

Veterans Health ◽

Health Administration ◽

Community Based ◽

Community Based Programs ◽

Community Based Services

Abstract Background Since deinstitutionalization in the 1950s-1970s, public mental health care has changed its focus from asylums to general hospitals, outpatient clinics and specialized community-based programs addressing both clinical and social determinants of mental health. Analysis of the place of community-based programs within a comprehensive health system such as the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) may illuminate the role of social forces in shaping contemporary public mental health systems. Methods National VHA administrative data were used to compare veterans who exclusively received outpatient clinic care to those receiving four types of specialized community-based services, addressing: 1) functional disabilities from severe mental illness (SMI), 2) justice system involvement, 3) homelessness, and 4) vocational rehabilitation. Bivariate comparisons and multinomial logistic regression analyses compared groups on demographics, diagnoses, service use, and psychiatric prescription fills. Results An hierarchical classification of 1,386,487 Veterans who received specialty mental health services from VHA in Fiscal Year 2012, showed 1,134,977 (81.8%) were seen exclusively in outpatient clinics; 27,931 (2.0%) received intensive SMI-related services; 42,985 (3.1%) criminal justice services; 160,273 (11.6%) specialized homelessness services; and 20,921 (1.5%) vocational services. Compared to those seen only in clinics, veterans in the four community treatment groups were more likely to be black, diagnosed with HIV and hepatitis, had more numerous substance use diagnoses and made more extensive use of mental health outpatient and inpatient care. Conclusions Almost one-fifth of VHA mental health patients receive specialized community-based services addressing, most prominently, major social determinants of health and multimorbid substance use disorders.

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Social Determinants of Mental Health Care Systems: Intensive Community Based Care in The Veterans Health Administration

10.21203/rs.3.rs-21906/v3 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Ish P Bhalla ◽

Elina A Stefanovics ◽

Robert A Rosenheck

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Social Determinants ◽

Public Mental Health ◽

Veterans Health Administration ◽

Outpatient Clinics ◽

Veterans Health ◽

Health Administration ◽

Community Based ◽

Community Based Programs ◽

Community Based Services

Abstract Background: Since deinstitutionalization in the 1950s-1970s, public mental health care has changed its focus from asylums to general hospitals, outpatient clinics and specialized community-based programs addressing both clinical and social determinants of mental health. Analysis of the place of community-based programs within a comprehensive health system such as the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) may illuminate the role of social forces in shaping contemporary public mental health systems. Methods: National VHA administrative data were used to compare veterans who exclusively received outpatient clinic care to those receiving four types of specialized community-based services, addressing: 1) functional disabilities from severe mental illness (SMI), 2) justice system involvement, 3) homelessness, and 4) vocational rehabilitation. Bivariate comparisons and multinomial logistic regression analyses compared groups on demographics, diagnoses, service use, and psychiatric prescription fills. Results: An hierarchical classification of 1,386,487 Veterans who received specialty mental health services from VHA in Fiscal Year 2012, showed 1,134,977 (81.8%) were seen exclusively in outpatient clinics; 27,931 (2.0 %) received intensive SMI-related services; 42,985 (3.1%) criminal justice services; 160,273 (11.6%) specialized homelessness services; and 20,921 (1.5%) vocational services. Compared to those seen only in clinics, veterans in the four community treatment groups were more likely to be black, diagnosed with HIV and hepatitis, had more numerous substance use diagnoses and made far more extensive use of mental health outpatient and inpatient care. Conclusions: Almost one-fifth of VHA mental health patients receive community-based services prominantly addressing major social determinants of health and multimorbid substance use disorders.

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Predictors of Veterans Health Administration utilization and pain persistence among soldiers treated for postdeployment chronic pain in the Military Health System

BMC Health Services Research ◽

10.1186/s12913-021-06536-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Rachel Sayko Adams ◽

Esther L. Meerwijk ◽

Mary Jo Larson ◽

Alex H. S. Harris

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Chronic Pain ◽

Veterans Health Administration ◽

First Year ◽

Veterans Health ◽

Health Administration ◽

Military Health System ◽

Military Health ◽

The Military

Abstract Background Chronic pain presents a significant burden for both federal health care systems designed to serve combat Veterans in the United States (i.e., the Military Health System [MHS] and Veterans Health Administration [VHA]), yet there have been few studies of Veterans with chronic pain that have integrated data from both systems of care. This study examined 1) health care utilization in VHA as an enrollee (i.e., linkage to VHA) after military separation among soldiers with postdeployment chronic pain identified in the MHS, and predictors of linkage, and 2) persistence of chronic pain among those utilizing the VHA. Methods Observational, longitudinal study of soldiers returning from a deployment in support of the Afghanistan/Iraq conflicts in fiscal years 2008–2014. The analytic sample included 138,206 active duty soldiers for whom linkage to VHA was determined through FY2019. A Cox proportional hazards model was estimated to examine the effects of demographic characteristics, military history, and MHS clinical characteristics on time to linkage to VHA after separation from the military. Among the subpopulation of soldiers who linked to VHA, we described whether they met criteria for chronic pain in the VHA and pain management treatments received during the first year in VHA. Results The majority (79%) of soldiers within the chronic pain cohort linked to VHA after military separation. Significant predictors of VHA linkage included: VHA utilization as a non-enrollee prior to military separation, separating for disability, mental health comorbidities, and being non-Hispanic Black or Hispanic. Soldiers that separated because of misconduct were less likely to link than other soldiers. Soldiers who received nonpharmacological treatments, opioids/tramadol, or mental health treatment in the MHS linked earlier to VHA than soldiers who did not receive these treatments. Among those who enrolled in VHA, during the first year after linking to the VHA, 49.7% of soldiers met criteria for persistent chronic pain in VHA. Conclusions The vast majority of soldiers identified with chronic pain in the MHS utilized care within VHA after military separation. Careful coordination of pain management approaches across the MHS and VHA is required to optimize care for soldiers with chronic pain.

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