Designing a model for Veterans' health services referral system in Iran

Abstract: Background and Aim: The provision of services and referrals within the health system is an approach designed to enhance community access to health services. Veterans require specialized health and medical care due to their exposure to combat conditions and military environments. Therefore, this research aimed to study providing health services to veterans in the referral system and designing a model for the referral system of veterans' health services in Iran. Methods: This research was conducted qualitatively using the Delphi technique in three stages. The participants consisted of fifteen experts in the features of referral systems for veterans' health services, selected through a targeted approach based on the snowball method. Results: The results indicate that several factors influence the referral system for veterans' health services. These include information technology and electronic infrastructure, legal and policy considerations, geographic and demographic factors, effective management and resource allocation, performance monitoring of the referral system, as well as cultural development and education. Conclusion: Effective planning and cultural development should be implemented in the veterans' health referral system. Policymakers involved in urban family programs should focus on health system policymaking and the structure of the insurance system. Additionally, there must be proper coordination between primary care and specialized care within the veterans' health referral system.

Read the full article
Report a problem with this article

Related articles

  • More for Policy & Practice

    Access to outpatient occupational therapy services after inpatient psychiatric hospitalization in the Veterans Health Administration

    Abstract: IMPORTANCE: Veterans with occupational performance (e.g., activities of daily living [ADL]) limitations who are receiving inpatient psychiatric care may benefit from outpatient occupational therapy upon discharge, but access disparities have not been investigated. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether ADL limitations, an indicator of need, are associated with outpatient occupational therapy utilization after inpatient psychiatric hospitalization in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and whether this relationship differs by facility characteristics. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of VHA medical record data. Modified Poisson regression was used to model outpatient occupational therapy utilization (yes or no) as a function of ADL limitations, facility characteristics, and sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Interactions were used to estimate whether the relationship between ADL limitations and outpatient occupational therapy utilization differs across facility characteristics. SETTING: VHA outpatient setting. PARTICIPANTS: Veterans who received VHA inpatient psychiatric care from 2015 to 2020 and lived

    Mental Health Peer reviewed