Kristin Mattocks1, Jose Casares2, Amber Brown2, Bevanne Bean-Mayberry3, Karen M Goldstein4, Mary Driscoll5, Sally Haskell6, Lori Bastian6, Cynthia Brandt6. 1. VA Central Western Massachusetts Healthcare System, Leeds, Massachusetts; Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts. Electronic address: Kristin.Mattocks@va.gov. 2. VA Central Western Massachusetts Healthcare System, Leeds, Massachusetts. 3. VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation and Policy (CSHIIP), Los Angeles, California; Division of General Internal Medicine, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California. 4. Durham VA Health Care System - Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation (ADAPT), Durham, North Carolina; Division of General Internal Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina. 5. VA Connecticut Healthcare System-Pain Research, Informatics, Multi-morbidities, and Education (PRIME) Center, West Haven, Connecticut. 6. VA Connecticut Healthcare System-Pain Research, Informatics, Multi-morbidities, and Education (PRIME) Center, West Haven, Connecticut; Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: In the past decade, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has responded to a dramatic increase in women veterans seeking care by expanding Women's Health training to more than 5,000 women's health primary care providers and changing the culture of the VA to be more inclusive of women veterans. These initiatives have resulted in increased patient satisfaction and quality of care, but have focused mostly on primary care settings. Less is known about women's experiences in specialty care within VA. This qualitative study sought to examine women veterans' experiences with VA specialty care providers, with a focus on cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and mental health care settings. METHODS: Semistructured interviews were conducted with 80 women veterans who served during the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts at four VA facilities nationwide. Interviews focused on understanding women veterans' experiences with VA specialty care providers, including their perceptions of gender bias. RESULTS: Four major themes emerged from interviews, including that 1) women did not feel that VA specialty care providers listened to them or took their symptoms seriously, 2) women were told their health conditions or symptoms were attributable to hormonal fluctuations, 3) women noted differences in care based on whether the VA specialty provider was male or female, and 4) women provided recommendations for how gender-sensitive specialty care might be improved. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to highlight the perceived gender bias experienced by women veterans in VA specialty care. Women felt that their symptoms were disregarded or diminished by their specialty care providers. Although women veterans report positive experiences within women's health clinics and the primary care setting, their negative experiences in VA specialty care suggest that some providers may harbor unintentional or unconscious gender biases. Published by Elsevier Inc.
BACKGROUND: In the past decade, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has responded to a dramatic increase in women veterans seeking care by expanding Women's Health training to more than 5,000 women's health primary care providers and changing the culture of the VA to be more inclusive of women veterans. These initiatives have resulted in increased patient satisfaction and quality of care, but have focused mostly on primary care settings. Less is known about women's experiences in specialty care within VA. This qualitative study sought to examine women veterans' experiences with VA specialty care providers, with a focus on cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and mental health care settings. METHODS: Semistructured interviews were conducted with 80 women veterans who served during the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts at four VA facilities nationwide. Interviews focused on understanding women veterans' experiences with VA specialty care providers, including their perceptions of gender bias. RESULTS: Four major themes emerged from interviews, including that 1) women did not feel that VA specialty care providers listened to them or took their symptoms seriously, 2) women were told their health conditions or symptoms were attributable to hormonal fluctuations, 3) women noted differences in care based on whether the VA specialty provider was male or female, and 4) women provided recommendations for how gender-sensitive specialty care might be improved. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to highlight the perceived gender bias experienced by women veterans in VA specialty care. Women felt that their symptoms were disregarded or diminished by their specialty care providers. Although women veterans report positive experiences within women's health clinics and the primary care setting, their negative experiences in VA specialty care suggest that some providers may harbor unintentional or unconscious gender biases. Published by Elsevier Inc.
Authors: Sanket S Dhruva; James Dziura; Harini Bathulapalli; Lindsey Rosman; Allison E Gaffey; Melinda B Davis; Cynthia A Brandt; Sally G Haskell Journal: J Gen Intern Med Date: 2022-08-30 Impact factor: 6.473
Authors: Allison E Gaffey; Matthew M Burg; Lindsey Rosman; Galina A Portnoy; Cynthia A Brandt; Casey E Cavanagh; Melissa Skanderson; James Dziura; Kristin M Mattocks; Lori A Bastian; Sally G Haskell Journal: J Womens Health (Larchmt) Date: 2021-01-13 Impact factor: 3.017