Cross-system service use among psychiatric patients: data from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
This study examines the cross-system use of non-Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) services in a sample of psychiatric patients from the VA in 1990. Data were collected over a two-week period on all mental health outpatients and included demographic information, diagnoses, and self-reported use of non-VA services in the previous two weeks and six months. In the entire sample, 10.6% and 23.3% reported cross-system use in the previous two weeks and six months, respectively. Predictors of cross-system use were lower VA utilization, a nonschizophrenic diagnosis, not having a VA service-connected disability, and being female. These data indicate that a substantial proportion of VA mental health patients are using non-VA services. Utilization patterns indicate that they may be substituting non-VA for VA services. These results are unlikely to be unique to VA, and rates of cross-system use will likely increase in all health care systems as financial restrictions increase.
Hoff
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Northeast Program Evaluation Center/182, VA Connecticut, West Haven 06516, USA. rani.hoff@yale.edu
Rosenheck
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D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010045:Outpatients; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs