This site is intended primarily for VA and non-VA health services researchers.
Director:
Hanna E. Bloomfield, MD, MPH
Associate Director:
Nina A. Sayer, PhD
Co-Associate Director:
Steven Fu, MD, MSCE
RECENT HIGHLIGHTS
Early Mental Health Treatment-Seeking Among U.S. National Guard Soldiers Deployed to Iraq
by Shannon Kehle, PhD (pictured below)
All U.S. Veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), including
those activated from the National Guard, are eligible for free Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA) health care for five years following deployment. Although a substantial proportion of
OEF/OIF returnees are using VA health care, many OEF/OIF troops, particularly those with
mental health problems, may not be seeking needed treatment (Hoge et al., 2004). Additionally,
there have been no studies examining associations between facilitators or barriers to mental
health treatment-seeking and actual care utilization among OEF/OIF soldiers or Veterans. Thus,
our goals were to determine the rate of reported mental health treatment-seeking in a panel
of returning OIF National Guard soldiers and to examine potential barriers to and facilitators
of such treatment-seeking.
The Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research, a
VA Health Services Research and Development (HSR&D)
Center of Excellence operating under the direction of the
Office of Research and Development (ORD),
is an interdisciplinary community of professionals conducting methodologically
rigorous research intended primarily to improve the health care of Veterans.
The Center is a vibrant organization with 22 core investigators, 8 affiliate or associate
investigators, 2 post-doctoral fellows, 4 core administrative staff, 12 data analysis core
staff, and 30 project staff. The center currently supports 62 funded projects with an
annual budget of over $8.8 million.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Minneapolis VA Health Care System (152/2E)
One Veterans Drive
Minneapolis, MN 55417
Phone: 612.725.1979
Fax: 612.727.5699
Contact via email.
OUR MISSION
To enhance, through research, education, and dissemination activities, the
delivery and accessibility of high-quality, cost-effective health care that will
result in optimal clinical, psychosocial, and functional outcomes for Veterans
with chronic disease.
RESEARCH FOCUS
More than 600,000 new Veterans have become eligible for VA services since
the beginning of the global war on terror. These Veterans face a host of
unique combat-related problems, many of which will become lifelong chronic
conditions. To help ensure that these Veterans receive the highest quality
care, we will place a major focus over the next five years on
post-deployment health, specifically:
Post traumatic stress disorder
Polytrauma and Blast-related injuries and other unique health issues
facing Veterans of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom
Substance use disorders (including tobacco)
In addition much of our research will continue to focus on other areas of
established strength:
Clinical research programs in osteoporosis, vaccine preventable
disease, prostate and urological disease, and abdominal aortic
aneurysm
Intervention and implementation research in colorectal cancer screening
Health disparities in disadvantaged populations
Methods for reducing bias in observational studies
All U.S. Veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), including
those activated from the National Guard, are eligible for free Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA) health care for five years following deployment. Although a substantial proportion of
OEF/OIF returnees are using VA health care, many OEF/OIF troops, particularly those with
mental health problems, may not be seeking needed treatment (Hoge et al., 2004). Additionally,
there have been no studies examining associations between facilitators or barriers to mental
health treatment-seeking and actual care utilization among OEF/OIF soldiers or Veterans. Thus,
our goals were to determine the rate of reported mental health treatment-seeking in a panel
of returning OIF National Guard soldiers and to examine potential barriers to and facilitators
of such treatment-seeking.
