Service use and satisfaction among elderly former prisoners of war in South Carolina.
OBJECTIVE
This project was developed to evaluate the use of and satisfaction with Veteran's Affairs (VA) medical services and disability benefits among surviving elderly prisoners of war (POWs) in South Carolina.


METHODS
A single-assessment quantitative survey strategy was implemented to learn more about the service use patterns and satisfaction with care of two groups of male former POWs (N = 87): those who were members of a national POW service organization and those who were not.


RESULTS
Data show that the majority of these POWs had used the VA for medical care in the previous year, received disability compensation through the VA, and were satisfied with VA primary care medical services. Furthermore, differences between these two POW groups were minimal.


CONCLUSIONS
Results provide preliminary evidence that many former POWs rely heavily upon the VA for provision of primary medical and specialty care and disability compensation and that POWs are generally satisfied with the VA services and benefits they receive.
Frueh
B Christopher
BC
Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, SC 29401-5799, USA.
Sauvageot
Julie A
JA
Elhai
Jon D
JD
Gold
Paul B
PB
Hamner
Mark B
MB
Arana
George W
GW
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003625:Data Collection; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013022:South Carolina; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014729:Veterans Disability Claims / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014857:Warfare