Prevalence and Correlates of VA-Purchased Community Care Use Among Post-9/11-Era Veterans With Traumatic Brain Injury.
Diana J Govier, Tess A Gilbert, R Lorie Jacob and 7 others
PMID 38709829WHAT IT FOUND
Veterans with traumatic brain injury who had severe injuries, mental health conditions, or suicide risk were more likely to use community care purchased by the VA than those with milder injuries.
This group represents a large portion of community patients who may lack specialized TBI training.
Key findings
0151% of the 65,144 Veterans with confirmed TBI used VA-purchased community care at least once during the four-year study period.
02Veterans with moderate or severe TBI, comorbid mental health conditions (PTSD, depression, anxiety, substance use), and those flagged as high suicide risk had higher odds of using VA-purchased care.
03Nearly all Veterans (more than 99%) who used VA-purchased care also continued to receive care directly from VA facilities, meaning community providers are seeing patients who are also in the VA system.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study only included Veterans who underwent a specific VA evaluation for TBI, so it may not represent all Veterans with a history of head injury. The data came from administrative records, which are not collected for research purposes and may be incomplete or lack detail. The study was observational, so it can only show associations between patient characteristics and community care use, not prove that these characteristics cause the use of community care. The study did not track the specific types of services Veterans received in the community, so it is unclear what kind of care they were actually getting.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that Veterans using community care have left the VA system. The study found that nearly all of them (more than 99%) also used VA-delivered care, meaning they are being treated in both systems simultaneously.