Meeting the Challenges of Veterans with Chronic Illnesses

Once a health care system designed to care largely for those with acute illnesses and in need of episodic care, the VA has transformed itself over the last decade. This transformation has led to significant improvements in care for patients with chronic illnesses. VA has invested heavily in its primary care framework, informatics infrastructure, and performance measurement system to improve quality of care and decrease treatment gaps. These investments have resulted in demonstrably better care for veterans with chronic illnesses. In fact, one recent study found that VA patients were more likely than patients in a national sample to receive needed care for chronic illnesses. In particular, patients in the VA sample received significantly better care for depression, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension.