In spite of longstanding concerns about problems with the Veterans’ Administration health system, a new study found that VA hospitals compare relatively favorably with other hospitals in terms of death rates and readmissions.
The study also found that older men with three common conditions—heart attacks, heart failure, and pneumonia—fare about the same at VA hospitals as at other hospitals.
The new findings suggest that VA hospitals “are still able to deliver high-quality care for some of the sickest, most complicated patients,” said Ashish Jha, K.T. Li Professor of International Health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, in a February 9, 2016 AP article that appeared in the Washington Post. Jha wrote an editorial in JAMA that accompanied the study, which was led by a Yale University researcher.
Questions do remain about other aspects of VA hospitals, including timeliness of care and whether veterans think they are treated with respect, Jha wrote.
Read the AP article: VA hospitals compared favorably on deaths, readmission rates