The VA has released a report illustrating improvement in gender disparities in 12 out of 14 Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) measures.
These measures are used by 90 percent of America’s health plans to measure performance on important dimensions of care and service, such as screening, prevention and chronic disease management. VA consistently scores higher than private sector health care on both gender-specific and gender-neutral HEDIS measures.
“We have a solemn obligation to provide high-quality health care to all Veterans, regardless of gender. Although we are encouraged by the progress we have achieved, we are not going to stop working until all gaps are eliminated,” said Secretary Eric K. Shinseki.
The report shows that VA improved gender disparities in six performance measures specific to VA, including the screening rate for persistence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms.
Other findings from the report include:
VA has improved rates of screening women Veterans for depression, PTSD and colorectal cancer.
VA has improved disease prevention for women Veterans through increased vaccination rates.
VA has improved chronic disease management for women Veterans in hypertension, diabetes and hyperlipidemia, all significant risk factors for cardiac disease.
Although the gender gaps have narrowed, care remains better for men than women in cholesterol control, diabetes management and flu vaccination.
The OIA report includes results of Veterans’ inpatient and outpatient satisfaction surveys, which show that men and women Veterans reported similar satisfaction except in the Getting Care Quickly and Getting Needed Care outpatient sections.
VA has implemented a national initiative to improve care for women Veterans. Some of the components include training VA providers in basic and advanced women’s health care, implementation of women’s health primary care teams at VA facilities nationwide and ramped-up communications efforts.
The Women Veterans Health Strategic Health Care Group, which leads the initiative, also issued a report looking at gender disparities. That report, Gender Differences in Performance Measures, VHA 2008-2011, identifies best practices for eliminating gender gaps based on success in VA networks.