title: Characteristics of veterans using Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinics.
abstract: In the late 1990s, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) initiated a system of community-based outpatient clinics to enhance access to care. The purpose of this study was to explore factors that may be related to veterans' desire to transfer care from VA-based to community clinics. Among 1,452 veterans who were currently receiving VA clinic care and were eligible for care in two community-based clinics in rural Minnesota, 85 percent responded to a survey. Fifty-four percent of respondents requested community-based outpatient clinic care. Multivariate analysis revealed that veterans less satisfied with VA care were more likely to request a transfer to a community clinic, whereas Veterans SF-36 scale scores were not strongly associated with request for community-based outpatient clinic care. Veterans who had more VA clinic visits were less likely to request community-based outpatient clinic care. The likelihood of requesting also varied across the VA facilities and by VA eligibility level.
authors.affiliation: Minneapolis Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research, Minneapolis VA Medical Center, and University of Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Steven J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Borowsky
authors.forename: David B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: Sean M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Nugent
authors.forename: Jenni L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Bradley
authors.forename: Paul R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Hamann
authors.forename: Claire J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Stolee
authors.forename: Hanna B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Rubins
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003710:Demography; D004608:Eligibility Determination; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008910:Minnesota / Q000453:epidemiology; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010045:Outpatients / Q000145:classification* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D014481:United States; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs; D014728:Veterans / Q000145:classification* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data