RÉSUMÉ
Importance: Concerns have been raised about the adequacy of health care access among patients cared for within the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system. Objectives: To determine wait times for new patients receiving care at VA medical centers and compare wait times in the VA medical centers with wait times in the private sector (PS). Design, Setting, and Participants: A retrospective, repeated cross-sectional study was conducted of new appointment wait times for primary care, dermatology, cardiology, or orthopedics at VA medical centers in 15 major metropolitan areas in 2014 and 2017. Comparison data from the PS came from a published survey that used a secret shopper survey approach. Secondary analyses evaluated the change in overall and unique patients seen in the entire VA system and patient satisfaction survey measures of care access between 2014 and 2017. Main Outcomes and Measures: The outcome of interest was patient wait time. Wait times in the VA were determined directly from patient scheduling. Wait times in the PS were as reported in Merritt Hawkins surveys using the secret shopper method. Results: Compared with the PS, overall mean VA wait times for new appointments in 2014 were similar (mean [SD] wait time, 18.7 [7.9] days PS vs 22.5 [7.3] days VA; P = .20). Department of Veterans Affairs wait times in 2014 were similar to those in the PS across specialties and regions. In 2017, overall wait times for new appointments in the VA were shorter than in the PS (mean [SD], 17.7 [5.9] vs 29.8 [16.6] days; P < .001). This was true in primary care (mean [SD], 20.0 [10.4] vs 40.7 [35.0] days; P = .005), dermatology (mean [SD], 15.6 [12.2] vs 32.6 [16.5] days; P < .001), and cardiology (mean [SD], 15.3 [12.6] vs 22.8 [10.1] days; P = .04). Wait times for orthopedics remained longer in the VA than the PS (mean [SD], 20.9 [13.3] vs 12.4 [5.5] days; P = .01), although wait time improved significantly between 2014 and 2017 in the VA for orthopedics while wait times in the PS did not change (change in mean wait times, increased 1.5 days vs decreased 5.4 days; P = .02). Secondary analysis demonstrated an increase in the number of unique patients seen and appointment encounters in the VA between 2014 and 2017 (4â¯996â¯564 to 5â¯118â¯446, and 16â¯476â¯461 to 17â¯331â¯538, respectively), and patient satisfaction measures of access also improved (satisfaction scores increased by 1.4%, 3.0%, and 4.0% for specialty care, routine primary care, and urgent primary care, P < .05). Conclusions and Relevance: Although wait times in the VA and PS appeared to be similar in 2014, there have been interval improvements in VA wait times since then, while wait times in the PS appear to be static. These findings suggest that access to care within the VA has improved over time.
Sujet(s)
Rendez-vous et plannings , Hôpitaux privés/statistiques et données numériques , Hôpitaux des anciens combattants/statistiques et données numériques , Adulte , Sujet âgé , Sujet âgé de 80 ans ou plus , Études transversales , Femelle , Enquêtes sur les soins de santé , Accessibilité des services de santé/statistiques et données numériques , Hôpitaux privés/normes , Hôpitaux des anciens combattants/normes , Humains , Mâle , Médecine , Adulte d'âge moyen , Satisfaction des patients , Facteurs temps , États-Unis , Department of Veterans Affairs (USA) , Jeune adulteSujet(s)
Hôpitaux des anciens combattants/organisation et administration , Secteur privé , Department of Veterans Affairs (USA)/organisation et administration , Soins ambulatoires/organisation et administration , Concurrence économique , Réforme des soins de santé , Humains , Sécurité des patients , Qualité des soins de santé , Orientation vers un spécialiste , États-UnisRÉSUMÉ
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is the nation's largest care provider for hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients and is uniquely suited to inform national efforts to eliminate HCV. An extensive array of delivery of services, policy guidance, outreach efforts, and funding has broadened the reach and capacity of the VA to deliver direct-acting antiviral (DAA) HCV therapy, supported by an infrastructure to effectively implement change and informed by extensive population health data analysis. The VA has treated more than 92 000 HCV-infected veterans since all-oral DAAs became available in January 2014, with cure rates exceeding 90%; only 51 000 veterans in VA care are known to remain potentially eligible for treatment. Key actions advancing the VA's aggressive treatment of HCV infection that are germane to non-VA settings include expansion of treatment capacity through the use of nonphysician providers, video telehealth, and electronic technologies; expansion of integrated care to address psychiatric and substance use comorbidities; and electronic data tools for patient tracking and outreach. A critical component of effective implementation has been building infrastructure through the creation of regional multidisciplinary HCV Innovation Teams, whose system redesign efforts have produced innovative HCV practice models addressing gaps in care while providing more efficient and effective HCV management for the populations they serve. Financing for HCV treatment and infrastructure resources coupled with reduced drug prices has been paramount to the VA's success in curing HCV infection. The VA is poised to share and extend best practices to other health care organizations and providers delivering HCV care, contributing to a concerted effort to reduce the overall burden of HCV infection.
Sujet(s)
Antiviraux/usage thérapeutique , Hépatite C/traitement médicamenteux , Department of Veterans Affairs (USA) , Comorbidité , Prestations des soins de santé/méthodes , Femelle , Financement du gouvernement , Hépatite C/épidémiologie , Humains , Mâle , Adulte d'âge moyen , Télémédecine , États-Unis/épidémiologie , Department of Veterans Affairs (USA)/économie , Anciens combattants/statistiques et données numériques , Santé des anciens combattants/statistiques et données numériquesSujet(s)
Analgésiques morphiniques/effets indésirables , Douleur chronique/traitement médicamenteux , Troubles liés aux opiacés/épidémiologie , Anciens combattants/statistiques et données numériques , Analgésiques morphiniques/administration et posologie , Humains , Troubles liés aux opiacés/diagnostic , Gestion de la douleur/méthodes , États-Unis , Department of Veterans Affairs (USA)RÉSUMÉ
The Veterans Health Administration is unique, functioning as an integrated health care system that provides care to more than six million veterans annually and as a home to an established scientific enterprise that conducts more than $1 billion of research each year. The presence of research, spanning the continuum from basic health services to translational research, has helped the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) realize the potential of a learning health care system and has contributed to significant improvements in clinical quality over the past two decades. It has also illustrated distinct pathways by which research influences clinical care and policy and has provided lessons on challenges in translating research into practice on a national scale. These lessons are increasingly relevant to other health care systems, as the issues confronting the VA-the need to provide timely access, coordination of care, and consistent high quality across a diverse system-mirror those of the larger US health care system.
Sujet(s)
Prestations des soins de santé , Department of Veterans Affairs (USA) , Santé des anciens combattants , Humains , Recherche , États-Unis , Anciens combattantsSujet(s)
Attitude envers la santé , Économie hospitalière/normes , Frais hospitaliers/normes , Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (USA)/économie , Satisfaction des patients/économie , Économie hospitalière/législation et jurisprudence , Économie hospitalière/tendances , Frais hospitaliers/tendances , Humains , Personnes sans assurance médicale/législation et jurisprudence , Mécanismes de remboursement/législation et jurisprudence , Mécanismes de remboursement/tendancesRÉSUMÉ
BACKGROUND: Hospitals typically restrict visiting hours to ensure a restful environment for patients and to allow clinical staff to work. With increased public reporting focused on patient satisfaction and renewed efforts to improve patient and family engagement, hospitals may want to consider evaluating their current restrictions on visitation. Liberal visitation practices can decrease patient anxiety and benefit patients and families. METHODS: Morristown Medical Center, a 690-bed tertiary acute care facility and a 78-bed rehabilitation hospital, initiated a 24-h visitation policy. With input from nurses, physicians, administrators, and security, we developed a policy that emphasizes patient and staff safety and places the patient at the center of decision making. Comparison of patient satisfaction scores before and after the open visitation policy was implemented, which was made using the chi-square test. RESULTS: In the first 8 months of the open visitation policy, the medical center received 14,444 "after-hours" (8:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.) visitors. During this period, there was no increase in the number of complaints from patients or visitors. Incidence of security events did not change, despite the higher number of visitors. Patient satisfaction scores rose on both a commercial satisfaction survey and on the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey. Unit staff received fewer phone calls for patient updates and acknowledged that the experience had been positive. DISCUSSION: Our experience suggests that implementation of open visitation at acute care and long-term care institutions can be accomplished with little disruption, is well utilized by visitors, improves the patient and family experience, and is generally accepted by hospital staff.
Sujet(s)
Politique organisationnelle , Satisfaction des patients , Visiteurs des patients , Attitude du personnel soignant , Humains , New Jersey , Centres de rééducation et de réadaptation , Centres de soins tertiairesSujet(s)
Attitude du personnel soignant , Choix de carrière , Coûts des soins de santé , Médecine , Motivation , Humains , MédecinsRÉSUMÉ
As value-based reimbursement and accountable-care models drive us into an era of cost-containment and care-management strategies, the P&T committee must reinvent itself.