Studies show that a large proportion of veterans access multiple systems for care. Veterans who use both VA and non-VA services are at increased risk of adverse events, especially during transitions of care when changes in medications and plan of care may occur without the knowledge of VA physicians.
Lacking access to adequate information of non-VA care among veterans may limit the ability of VA providers to provide levels of care of a medical home. Little is known about how information exchange occurs in veterans accessing dual care so it is difficult to prescribe solutions to bridge the gap of VA and non-VA care.
Currently, the VA is doing a study at the James J. Peters VA Medical Center www.bronx.va.gov titled “Bridging Care Gaps: Information Exchange between VA and non-VA Sites of Care” (SDR-14-281). The study will enroll veterans from the James J. Peters VA Medical Center and the Hudson Valley Health Care System www.hudsonvalley.va.gov where up to 40 percent of veterans have accessed non-VA care in the previous year.
The specific aims of the study are to:
- Describe how and to what extent information is exchanged with VA primary care teams among veterans recently discharged from a non-VA hospital or emergency room
- Determine the incidence of medical errors, defined as medication errors, test follow-up errors and work-up errors occur during the care transition process among these veterans
- Identify factors that are related to information exchange related to medical errors
For more information on the study, email William Hung at William.hung@mssm.edu or call 718-584-9000.