TY - JOUR
T1 - Racial and ethnic disparities in the VA health care system
T2 - A systematic review
AU - Saha, Somnath
AU - Freeman, Michele
AU - Toure, Joahd
AU - Tippens, Kimberly M.
AU - Weeks, Christine
AU - Ibrahim, Said
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgments: This study was funded by and conducted for the Evidence Synthesis Activity Pilot (ESP) Program of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Health Services Research and Development Service (ESP 05-225). The authors are responsible for the content of the manuscript and the decision to submit it for publication. We thank the ESP planning committee as well as content experts Judith Long, M.D., Eugene Oddone, M.D., Elizabeth Yano, Ph.D., and Donna Washington, M.D., M.P.H., for providing guidance and feedback on draft versions of the report. We are grateful to Nancy A. Brown, MLS, for designing the search strategy and conducting the literature search. Dr. Saha is supported by awards from the VA Health Services Research & Development Service Advanced Research Career Development Program, and from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Generalist Physician Faculty Scholars Program. Dr. Toure is supported by an award from the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program. Dr. Tippens is supported by the Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Expectancy and Outcomes, Project 2. Dr. Ibrahim is a recipient of a career development award from the VA Health Services Research and Development Service and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Harold Amos Faculty Development Award.
PY - 2008/5
Y1 - 2008/5
N2 - OBJECTIVES: To better understand the causes of racial disparities in health care, we reviewed and synthesized existing evidence related to disparities in the "equal access" Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system. METHODS: We systematically reviewed and synthesized evidence from studies comparing health care utilization and quality by race within the VA. RESULTS: Racial disparities in the VA exist across a wide range of clinical areas and service types. Disparities appear most prevalent for medication adherence and surgery and other invasive procedures, processes that are likely to be affected by the quantity and quality of patient-provider communication, shared decision making, and patient participation. Studies indicate a variety of likely root causes of disparities including: racial differences in patients' medical knowledge and information sources, trust and skepticism, levels of participation in health care interactions and decisions, and social support and resources; clinician judgment/bias; the racial/cultural milieu of health care settings; and differences in the quality of care at facilities attended by different racial groups. CONCLUSIONS: Existing evidence from the VA indicates several promising targets for interventions to reduce racial disparities in the quality of health care.
AB - OBJECTIVES: To better understand the causes of racial disparities in health care, we reviewed and synthesized existing evidence related to disparities in the "equal access" Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system. METHODS: We systematically reviewed and synthesized evidence from studies comparing health care utilization and quality by race within the VA. RESULTS: Racial disparities in the VA exist across a wide range of clinical areas and service types. Disparities appear most prevalent for medication adherence and surgery and other invasive procedures, processes that are likely to be affected by the quantity and quality of patient-provider communication, shared decision making, and patient participation. Studies indicate a variety of likely root causes of disparities including: racial differences in patients' medical knowledge and information sources, trust and skepticism, levels of participation in health care interactions and decisions, and social support and resources; clinician judgment/bias; the racial/cultural milieu of health care settings; and differences in the quality of care at facilities attended by different racial groups. CONCLUSIONS: Existing evidence from the VA indicates several promising targets for interventions to reduce racial disparities in the quality of health care.
KW - Health care utilization
KW - Medication adherence
KW - Racial and ethnic disparities
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U2 - 10.1007/s11606-008-0521-4
DO - 10.1007/s11606-008-0521-4
M3 - Article
C2 - 18301951
AN - SCOPUS:42449106054
SN - 0884-8734
VL - 23
SP - 654
EP - 671
JO - Journal of general internal medicine
JF - Journal of general internal medicine
IS - 5
ER -