VA mental health: Additional action needed to assess rural veterans’ access to intensive care : report to Congressional committees

VA mental health: Additional action needed to assess rural veterans’ access to intensive care : report to Congressional committees

Collection:
Health Policy and Services Research
Alternate Title(s):
Additional action needed to assess rural Veterans’ access to intensive care: report to Congressional committees
Contributor(s):
United States. Government Accountability Office, issuing body.
Publication:
Washington, DC : United States Government Accountability Office, February 2023
Language(s):
English
Format:
Text
Subject(s):
Critical Care
Health Services Accessibility
Mental Health Services
Rural Health Services
Rural Population
Veterans Health Services
United States
United States. Veterans Health Administration
Genre(s):
Technical Report
Abstract:
Why GAO Did This Study. Serious mental illness is a persistent and growing concern for our nation’s veterans. Research shows veterans with serious mental illness who live in rural areas can face challenges accessing this care, such as long drive times to facilities. The Sgt. Ketchum Rural Veterans Mental Health Act of 2021 included a provision for GAO to study the intensive mental health care that VHA makes available to rural veterans. Among other objectives, this report examines the information VHA uses to monitor access to such care, what these data show about rural veterans’ access, and the guidelines VHA uses to establish programs for rural veterans. GAO reviewed VHA documentation and policies on its intensive mental health care programs and fiscal year 2021 data (most recent available) on utilization and performance for these programs. GAO also interviewed VHA officials and officials from three health care systems selected for geographic and program variation. What GAO Recommends. GAO is making four recommendations, including that VHA analyze intensive mental health care utilization and performance data by rurality and assess and update, as appropriate, guidelines for establishing outpatient intensive mental health programs. The Department of Veterans Affairs concurred with the recommendations and identified steps it would take to implement them.
Copyright:
The National Library of Medicine believes this item to be in the public domain. (More information)
Extent:
1 online resource (1 PDF file (iii, 54 pages))
Illustrations:
Illustrations
NLM Unique ID:
9918610387406676 (See catalog record)
Permanent Link:
http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/9918610387406676