Quality of VA care versus VA-paid community care for Veterans
Comparing Quality of Care between VA-Delivered and VA-Purchased Care: The Need for Better Risk Adjustment
This project compares the health care Veterans get inside the VA with care the VA pays for in the community and looks at how social and neighborhood factors change those comparisons.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | VA Boston Health Care System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11237960 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From your perspective, researchers will analyze Veterans' VA medical and pharmacy records alongside Medicare and all-payer claims to compare care delivered in VA facilities with care VA purchases in the community. They will add information about social determinants of health and neighborhood features to better account for differences in patients' health and life circumstances. The team will improve the VA's risk adjustment methods so quality comparisons reflect true differences in illness burden rather than social or data gaps. The goal is fairer, more accurate comparisons of care quality at both national and local levels.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are Veterans enrolled in VA who used VA-delivered care or VA-purchased community care during the 2020–2022 period, especially those with linked Medicare or other claims data.
Not a fit: Veterans who never used VA services, people without linked claims data, and non-Veterans are unlikely to be included or to directly benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to fairer quality comparisons and help guide improvements that raise the standard of care Veterans receive whether inside the VA or in the community.
How similar studies have performed: There have been prior VA quality comparisons, but this project is novel in linking multi-system claims and social determinants to improve risk adjustment.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- VA Boston Health Care System — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rosen, Amy K — VA Boston Health Care System
- Study coordinator: Rosen, Amy K
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.