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Veterans Health Care

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As the largest integrated health care provider in the United States, the Department of Veterans Affairs faces significant challenges in ensuring access to high quality health care for military veterans. RAND has a wealth of expertise in health policy research, which informs its analyses related to the medical care needs of military veterans and their families, as well as the care systems intended to meet them.

Essay

How Private Health Care Providers Could Better Serve Veterans

Nov 7, 2018

Almost a third of U.S. veterans live 40 miles or more from the nearest VA medical center, so the VA is trying to make it easier for them to use private providers closer to home. But it will take significant efforts to better prepare civilian doctors to deliver high-quality care to veterans.
Article

How High-Quality Mental Health Care Improves Veterans' Lives

Sep 25, 2019

A growing body of RAND research shows that veterans who receive high-quality care have the best chance of improving their mental health outcomes.

Explore Veterans Health Care

Essay

More Can Be Done to Save Veterans from Suicide

A decade of research at RAND has sought to focus the national conversation about suicide in general, and veteran suicide in particular, around solutions that work. The overwhelming message: We could do more to save the lives of veterans like Daniel Somers. Here is his story.

Nov 4, 2019
Journal Article

Journal Article

With Small Power, Comes Great Responsibility: Lessons Learned from an Evaluation of Veteran and Military Mental Health Public Awareness Campaigns

This study was conducted to determine the feasibility of conducting a cost-benefit evaluation of federally-funded media campaigns encouraging mental health help-seeking among United States military personnel and veterans.

Oct 15, 2019
Blog

Hurricane Dorian, Al Qaeda, Veterans' Health: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap looks at Hurricane Dorian recovery, al Qaeda 18 years after 9/11, veterans' mental health care, and more.

Sep 13, 2019
Periodical

Periodical

RAND Review: September-October 2019

This issue spotlights a wargame designed for young women interested in national security; ethics in scientific research, particularly in areas such as artificial intelligence and machine learning; and community citizen science.

Aug 26, 2019
Research Brief

How to Improve Mental Health Care for Veterans

Veterans, especially those who deployed overseas, face elevated risks of mental health conditions. Those who have served since 9/11 are particularly vulnerable. About one in five experiences mental health problems. Are veterans getting the high-quality care that they need?

Aug 13, 2019
Journal Article

Journal Article

The Use of Complementary and Integrative Health Approaches for Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain in Younger US Veterans: An Economic Evaluation

Chronic pain is prevalent among Veterans in general, but especially among younger Veterans, including participants in Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn. Musculoskeletal pain is the most common type of chronic pain. This pain also often co-occurs with conditions such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance abuse.

Jun 11, 2019
Journal Article

Journal Article

Use of Complementary and Integrated Health: A Retrospective Analysis of U.S. Veterans with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain Nationally

This article addresses the use of a variety of nonherbal CIH therapies among any large patient population having chronic pain by exploring the frequency and predictors of CIH therapy use among a national population of VHA users with chronic musculoskeletal pain.

Jun 11, 2019
Journal Article

Journal Article

Yoga Versus Education for Veterans with Chronic Low Back Pain: Study Protocol For a Randomized Controlled Trial

This study will help determine if yoga can become an effective treatment for Veterans with chronic low back pain and psychological comorbidities.

Jun 11, 2019
Report

Report

Core Competencies for Amputation Rehabilitation

The authors identify core competencies and behaviors in nine provider disciplines that participate in amputation rehabilitation and offer recommendations on how to implement them in the military health setting.

Jun 3, 2019
Blog

Theresa May, Emotional Learning, Teachers: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on Theresa May's resignation, social and emotional learning, the value of a good teacher, and more.

May 31, 2019
Multimedia

Reducing Suicide Among U.S. Veterans: Implications from RAND Research

An overview of testimony by Terri Tanielian presented before the House Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on National Security on May 8, 2019.

May 8, 2019
Testimony

How to Reduce Suicide Among U.S. Veterans and Service Members

The rate at which veterans and service members die by suicide is a national security problem that requires a comprehensive approach. Improved leadership and investments in access to high-quality care, identifying at-risk individuals, and reducing access to lethal means can make a difference.

May 8, 2019
Testimony

Ensuring Veterans' Access to Timely, High-Quality Health Care

Though the size of the U.S. veteran population has been decreasing over time, an influx of a new era of veterans with significant service-related health problems has increased VA health care enrollment to over 9 million. Insights from RAND research can help inform policymakers about the timeliness and quality of VA care.

Apr 10, 2019
Journal Article

Journal Article

The Enriched Life Scale (ELS): Development, Exploratory Factor Analysis, and Preliminary Construct Validity for U.S. Military Veteran and Civilian Samples

The primary objective of this study was to explore the psychometric properties of the Enriched Life Scale (ELS) in veteran and civilian samples.

Jan 4, 2019
Research Brief

Research Brief

Preliminary Feasibility Assessment of DoD-VA Purchased Care Integration

An integrated approach to purchasing health care for U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs could have important implications for access, quality, and costs but could face legislative, policy, or contractual challenges.

Nov 26, 2018
Report

Integrating Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs Purchased Care: Preliminary Feasibility Assessment

An integrated approach to purchasing health care for U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs could have important implications for access, quality, and costs but could face legislative, policy, or contractual challenges.

Nov 26, 2018
Multimedia

The Vital Support of Post-9/11 Military Caregivers

In this episode of Veterans in America, we talk about the military caregivers that inspired RAND's landmark study of America's "hidden heroes."

Nov 12, 2018
Periodical

Periodical

RAND Review: November-December 2018

This issue spotlights RAND's research on how providers can better meet the health care needs of veterans; life as a U.S. Army private; and Air Force efforts to improve leadership opportunities for women.

Nov 6, 2018

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