Coordinating Care for Reproductive Health Malignancies in the Veterans' Health Administration: Promising Practices, Ongoing Challenges, and Future Research

Kristina M. Cordasco; Jessica L. Moreau; Neetu Chawla

doi:10.1055/s-0039-1692398

Seminars in Reproductive Medicine, Table of Contents

Semin Reprod Med 2019; 37(01): 032-042
DOI: 10.1055/s-0039-1692398

Review Article

Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Coordinating Care for Reproductive Health Malignancies in the Veterans' Health Administration: Promising Practices, Ongoing Challenges, and Future Research

Authors

Kristina M. Cordasco

¹VA Health Services Research and Development (HSR&D) Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation, and Policy, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California

²Department of Medicine, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California

³Department of Medicine, Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, California
Jessica L. Moreau

¹VA Health Services Research and Development (HSR&D) Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation, and Policy, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California
Neetu Chawla

¹VA Health Services Research and Development (HSR&D) Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation, and Policy, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California

⁴Department of Health Policy and Management, UCLA School of Public Health, Los Angeles, California

Abstract

In cancer care, communication and coordination across the cancer continuum is paramount for delivering effective, high-quality, patient-centered care. However, achieving optimally coordinated cancer care is inherently challenging, especially in the case of Veterans Administration (VA) care for women's reproductive health cancers. Given the relatively small number of women Veterans requiring care for reproductive malignancies, VA often must rely on community providers to deliver this care, necessitating coordination across two or more health care systems. Recently, VA has invested heavily in improving care for women Veterans through several initiatives and efforts. This article reviews VA's successes, challenges, and future opportunities in research and innovation in the context of care coordination across the cancer continuum (i.e., prevention and screening, diagnosis and treatment, survivorship care, palliative and supportive care) for women Veterans with reproductive health malignancies. We describe how coordination of VA care for reproductive health malignancies currently reflects a mix of successes that demonstrate use of strong evidenced-based practices and challenges, with solutions yet to be fully developed and implemented. We conclude that there are a multitude of opportunities for future research, interventions, and potential avenues for implementing innovative approaches to coordinate VA reproductive cancer care across the cancer continuum.

Keywords

care coordination - Veterans - women - reproductive health - cancer

Full Text

References

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