Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the VA Healthcare System: A Systematic Review [Internet]

Review
Washington (DC): Department of Veterans Affairs (US); 2007 Jun.

Excerpt

Numerous studies have demonstrated racial and ethnic disparities in health care in the United States.These disparities have been demonstrated in the Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system, where financial barriers to receiving care are minimized. The VA is committed to delivering high-quality care in an equitable manner, and as such, to eliminating racial and ethnic disparities in health care. To inform this effort, we systematically reviewed the existing evidence on disparities within the VA, to address the following objectives: 1) Determine in which clinical areas racial and ethnic disparities are prevalent within the VA; 2) Describe what is known about the sources of those disparities; and 3) Qualitatively synthesize that knowledge to determine the most promising avenues for future research aimed at improving equity in VA health care.

Publication types

  • Review

Grants and funding

Prepared for: Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Health Services Research & Development Service, Washington, DC 20420.