Factors Related to Attrition from VA Healthcare Use: Findings from the National Survey of Women Veterans

BACKGROUND

While prior research characterizes women Veterans’ barriers to accessing and using Veterans Health Administration (VA) care, there has been little attention to women who access VA and use services, but then discontinue use. Recent data suggest that among women Veterans, there is a 30 % attrition rate within 3 years of initial VA use.

OBJECTIVES

To compare individual characteristics and perceptions about VA care between women Veteran VA attriters (those who discontinue use) and non-attriters (those who continue use), and to compare recent versus remote attriters.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional, population-based 2008–2009 national telephone survey.

PARTICIPANTS

Six hundred twenty-six attriters and 2,065 non-attriters who responded to the National Survey of Women Veterans.

MAIN MEASURES

Population weighted demographic, military and health characteristics; perceptions about VA healthcare; length of time since last VA use; among attriters, reasons for no longer using VA care.

KEY RESULTS

Fifty-four percent of the weighted VA ever user population reported that they no longer use VA. Forty-five percent of attrition was within the past ten years. Attriters had better overall health (p?=?0.007), higher income (p?p?p?

CONCLUSIONS

We found high VA attrition despite recent advances in VA care for women Veterans. Women’s attrition from VA could reduce the critical mass of women Veterans in VA and affect current system-wide efforts to provide high-quality care for women Veterans. An understanding of reasons for attrition can inform organizational efforts to re-engage women who have attrited, to retain current users, and potentially to attract new VA patients.