Prevalence of and Interventions to Reduce Health Disparities in Vulnerable Veteran Populations: A Map of the Evidence [Internet]

Excerpt

Today's Veteran population is racially and ethnically diverse, and includes more women and individuals from vulnerable populations, such as those identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT), than at any other time in history. While the equal access nature of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) may succeed in mitigating some of the disparities related to socioeconomic status (SES), it does not directly address the potential for disparities related sociodemographic factors (eg, race/ethnicity, gender, LGBT identity, age), geographic location, and mental health status. An understanding of whether disparities in utilization, health, or healthcare exists for Veterans belonging to vulnerable populations is vital. Both the Veterans Administration (VA) and the VHA have emphasized the mitigation and elimination of health disparities in their strategic plans, and have outlined specific goals in the VHA Health Equity Plan and the Blueprint for Excellence.Over the last decade, the VA Evidence-based Synthesis Program (ESP) and other organizations have published systematic reviews examining the quality of the health and healthcare experienced by a variety of vulnerable Veteran populations.