The VA is now treating more than 5 million vets each year. The quality of care in the veterans¿ health system has been bolstered by concerted efforts to track performance measures, expand the use of health IT, manage chronic diseases, coordinate care by different providers, and enhance the provision of evidence-based medical practices. This report is an assessment of quality improvement, cost and utilization of services, and health IT in the VHA. It examines VHA¿s experience with quality improvement and health IT. The assessment also aims to improve understanding of how VHA¿s system serves its patients. That info. may prove useful as decisionmakers consider how veterans¿ health care might be affected by proposals for health care reform.

With the return of vets who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan and with a much larger number of vets from earlier eras who are turning to the VA for at least a portion of their health care, the VHA is now treating more than 5 million vets each year. Many have suggested that the quality of care in the vets¿ health system has been bolstered by concerted efforts to track performance measures, expand the use of health info. technology (HIT), manage chronic diseases, coordinate care by different providers, and enhance the provision of evidence-based med. practices. This report provides an assessment of quality improvement, cost and utilization of services, and health info. technology in the VHA. It examines VHA¿s experience with quality improvement and HIT.

And introduction -- The health care system for veterans -- Quality improvements within VHA -- Appendix A: VistA outside the Veterans Health Administration -- Appendix B: Comparing the cost of care from the Veterans Health Administration and alternative sources -- Appendix C: The LinKS dashboard.

And introduction -- The health care system for veterans -- Quality improvements within VHA -- Appendix A: VistA outside the Veterans Health Administration -- Appendix B: Comparing the cost of care from the Veterans Health Administration and alternative sources -- Appendix C: The LinKS dashboard.

Approximately 4 million U.S. service members took part in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Shortly after troops started returning from their deployments, some active-duty service members and veterans began experiencing mental health problems. Given the stressors associated with war, it is not surprising that some service members developed such mental health conditions as posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and substance use disorder. Subsequent epidemiologic studies conducted on military and veteran populations that served in the operations in Afghanistan and Iraq provided scientific evidence that those who fought were in fact being diagnosed with mental illnesses and experiencing mental healthâ€"related outcomesâ€"in particular, suicideâ€"at a higher rate than the general population. This report provides a comprehensive assessment of the quality, capacity, and access to mental health care services for veterans who served in the Armed Forces in Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn. It includes an analysis of not only the quality and capacity of mental health care services within the Department of Veterans Affairs, but also barriers faced by patients in utilizing those services.