{"id":29660,"date":"2020-10-06T00:00:12","date_gmt":"2020-10-06T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ourpublicservice.org\/outpatient-health-care-services-for-veterans-2\/"},"modified":"2022-11-15T10:19:09","modified_gmt":"2022-11-15T15:19:09","slug":"outpatient-health-care-services-for-veterans","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ourpublicservice.org\/our-solutions\/customer-experience\/y2020\/outpatient-health-care-services-for-veterans\/","title":{"rendered":"Veterans Outpatient Health Care Services"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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This customer experience profile is from 2020. To view this year\u2019s profile, click here<\/a>.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\nUser Interactions<\/span><\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\nCustomer Feedback<\/span><\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\nSocial Media Presence<\/span><\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\nCustomer Experience Indicators<\/span><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Executive Summary<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In 2019, the Veterans Health Administration continued a multiyear effort to improve the experience for veterans receiving health care services, including adopting customer experience principles as part of VA\u2019s core values. Partnering with the VA\u2019s Veteran\u2019s Experience Office, the VHA continued to build a robust system for collecting and analyzing customer feedback, accelerated the use of techniques like human-centered design to understand veterans\u2019 needs, and invested in staff training to improve the patient experience. The VHA also implemented new legislation that year, making it easier for veterans to access health care from providers outside the VA network.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the coronavirus spread throughout the country in 2020, the VHA greatly expanded its delivery of telehealth services. In late August, staff members were conducting more than 169,000 weekly health care video visits<\/a> with veterans, more than a 1,000% increase since the crisis began.1<\/sup> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the past four years, veterans\u2019 trust in the VA has increased substantially, rising from 59% in 2016 to 77% in April 2020. Veterans continued to praise the trusted relationships they have with their health care providers\u2014stating they were treated with courtesy and respect when receiving care. After learning that many veterans were often unable to get care when they needed it, the VHA launched ongoing efforts to reduce the amount of time veterans had to wait to obtain an appointment, and has made progress over the past five years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To further improve the outpatient experience, the VHA also now aims to provide veterans with better information and updates about the process and timing for receiving prescriptions\u2014which vary depending on medication type and whether the VHA or a local pharmacy fills the prescription. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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