Alan N West
Biographic Data
| ID | 1220084 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Alan N West |
| GIVEN NAMES | Alan N |
| FAMILY NAME | West |
| SIGNATURE | WEST A N |
| AFFILIATIONS | White River Junction VA Medical Center |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 17 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 3 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 17 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1982 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2017 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
Differences Among States in Rural Veterans’ Use of VHA and Non‐VHA Hospitals
PURPOSE: To understand how vouchers for non-VHA care of VHA-enrolled veterans might affect rural enrollees, we determined how much enrollees use VHA and non-VHA inpatient care, and whether this use varies substantially between rural and urban residents depending on state of residence. METHODS: For veterans listed in the 2007 VHA enrollment file as living in Arizona, Iowa, Louisiana, Tennessee, Florida, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, or New York, w…
Insured Veterans’ Use of VA and Non‐VA Health Care in a Rural State
PURPOSE: To understand how working-age VA-enrolled veterans with commercial insurance use both VA and non-VA outpatient care, and how rural residence affects dual use, for common diagnoses and procedures. METHODS: We analyzed VA and non-VA outpatient treatment records for any months during 2005-2010 that New Hampshire veterans ages <65 were simultaneously enrolled in VA health care and commercial insurance (per NH's mandatory claims database). Co…
Veteran Use of Health Care Systems in Rural States
OBJECTIVE: To quantify use of VA and non-VA care among working-age veterans with private insurance by linking VA data to private health insurance plan (PHIP) data. METHODS: Demographics and utilization were compared between dual users of VA and non-VA systems versus single-system users for veterans < 65 living in 2 rural Midwestern states concurrently enrolled in VA health care and a PHIP for ≥ 1 complete federal fiscal year from 2000 to 2010. Ch…
Utilization of Travel Reimbursement in the Veterans Health Administration
PURPOSE: To improve access to care, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) increased its patient travel reimbursement rate from 11 to 28.5 cents per mile on February 1, 2008, and again to 41.5 cents per mile on November 17, 2008. We identified characteristics of veterans more likely to receive travel reimbursements and evaluated the impact of these increases on utilization of the benefit. METHODS: We examined the likelihood of receiving any rei…
The Effect of Increased Travel Reimbursement Rates on Health Care Utilization in the VA
Purpose : The reimbursement rate that eligible veterans receive for travel to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities increased from 11 to 28.5 cents per mile on February 1, 2008. We examined the effect of this policy change on utilization of outpatient, inpatient, and pharmacy services, stratifying veterans based on distance from a VA facility. Methods : We compared health care utilization and costs on a sample of VA patients in the 10.5 …
Defining “Rural” for Veterans’ Health Care Planning
PURPOSE: The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) devised an algorithm to classify veterans as Urban, Rural, or Highly Rural residents. To understand the policy implications of the VHA scheme, we compared its categories to 3 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and 4 Rural-Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) geographical categories. METHOD: Using residence information for VHA health care enrollees, we compared urban-rural classifications under the VHA, …
A Longitudinal Analysis of Rural and Urban Veterans’ Health-Related Quality of Life
CONTEXT: Cross-sectional studies have identified rural-urban disparities in veterans' health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) scores. PURPOSE: To determine whether longitudinal analyses confirmed that these disparities in veterans' HRQOL scores persisted. METHODS: We obtained data from the SF-12 portion of the veterans health administration's (VA's) Survey of Healthcare Experiences of Patients (SHEP) collected between 2002 and 2006. During that ti…
Practical and Policy Implications of Using Different Rural‐Urban Classification Systems
Context: Several classification systems exist for defining rural areas, which may lead to different interpretations of rural health services data. Purpose: To compare rural classification systems on their implications for estimating Veterans Administration (VA) utilization. Methods: Using 7 classification systems, we counted VA health care enrollees who lived in each category, and number admitted to VA hospitals or non‐VA hospitals under Medicare…
Do Older Rural and Urban Veterans Experience Different Rates of Unplanned Readmission to VA and Non‐VA Hospitals
Context: Unplanned readmission within 30 days of discharge is an indicator of hospital quality. Purpose: We wanted to determine whether older rural veterans who were enrolled in the VA had different rates of unplanned readmission to VA or non‐VA hospitals than their urban counterparts. Methods: We used the combined VA/Medicare dataset to examine 3,513,912 hospital admissions for older veterans that occurred in VA or non‐VA hospitals between 1997 …
Research on Rural Veterans
Context: The Veterans Health Administration (VA) provides comprehensive health care services to veterans across the United States. Recently, the VA established an Office of Rural Health to address the health care needs of rural veterans. Purpose: To review the literature on rural veterans' health care needs in order to identify areas for future research. Methods: We conducted a literature review of articles listed in the Medline, CINAHL, and BIOS…
Comparing the Characteristics, Utilization, Efficiency, and Outcomes of VA and Non-VA Inpatient Care Provided to VA Enrollees
OBJECTIVE: To compare the characteristics, utilization, and outcomes of Veterans Health Administration (VA) and non-VA inpatient care provided to VA enrollees in New York. METHODS: Using VA and New York State administrative and clinical databases, we conducted a retrospective study examining 110,716 residents of New York State who were enrolled in the VA and had 266,869 inpatient admissions in VA and non-VA hospitals in New York. For each admissi…
When VA Patients Have Non-VA Hospitalizations, Who Pays for What Services, and What Are the Research Implications
OBJECTIVE: To determine, for Veterans Health Administration (VA) enrollees who lived and were hospitalized in New York State between 1998 and 2000, the primary payers for their non-VA admissions, whether the primary payer mix varied by condition treated, and whether the Medicare claims data that VA acquired on its Medicare-enrolled patients captured all or most of their non-VA inpatient care. METHODS: Using VA and New York State administrative an…
Reducing Avoidable Deaths Among Veterans
Objectives. We quantified older (65 years and older) Veterans Health Administration (VHA) patients’ use of the private sector to obtain 14 surgical procedures and assessed the potential impact of directing that care to high-performance hospitals. Methods. Using a merged VHA–Medicare inpatient database for 2000 and 2001, we determined where older VHA enrollees obtained 6 cardiovascular surgeries and 8 cancer resections and whether private-sector c…
Who Pays When VA Users Are Hospitalized in the Private Sector
BACKGROUND: Older veterans enrolled in VA healthcare receive much of their medical care in the private sector, through Medicare. Less is known about younger VA enrollees' use of the private sector, or its funding. We compare payers for younger and older enrollees' private sector use in 3 hospitalization datasets. RESEARCH DESIGN: From 1998 to 2000, using private sector discharge data for VA enrollees in New York State, we categorized hospitalizat…
Creative trends in the content of beatles lyrics
(1996). Creative trends in the content of beatles lyrics. Popular Music and Society: Vol. 20, No. 4, pp. 103-125
Primary process content in the King James Bible
Mind Control
Creative trends in the content of beatles lyrics
(1996). Creative trends in the content of beatles lyrics. Popular Music and Society: Vol. 20, No. 4, pp. 103-125
Primary process content in the King James Bible
Mind Control
Primary process content in the King James Bible
Creative trends in the content of beatles lyrics
(1996). Creative trends in the content of beatles lyrics. Popular Music and Society: Vol. 20, No. 4, pp. 103-125
Reducing Avoidable Deaths Among Veterans
Objectives. We quantified older (65 years and older) Veterans Health Administration (VHA) patients’ use of the private sector to obtain 14 surgical procedures and assessed the potential impact of directing that care to high-performance hospitals. Methods. Using a merged VHA–Medicare inpatient database for 2000 and 2001, we determined where older VHA enrollees obtained 6 cardiovascular surgeries and 8 cancer resections and whether private-sector c…
Who Pays When VA Users Are Hospitalized in the Private Sector
BACKGROUND: Older veterans enrolled in VA healthcare receive much of their medical care in the private sector, through Medicare. Less is known about younger VA enrollees' use of the private sector, or its funding. We compare payers for younger and older enrollees' private sector use in 3 hospitalization datasets. RESEARCH DESIGN: From 1998 to 2000, using private sector discharge data for VA enrollees in New York State, we categorized hospitalizat…
Research on Rural Veterans
Context: The Veterans Health Administration (VA) provides comprehensive health care services to veterans across the United States. Recently, the VA established an Office of Rural Health to address the health care needs of rural veterans. Purpose: To review the literature on rural veterans' health care needs in order to identify areas for future research. Methods: We conducted a literature review of articles listed in the Medline, CINAHL, and BIOS…
Comparing the Characteristics, Utilization, Efficiency, and Outcomes of VA and Non-VA Inpatient Care Provided to VA Enrollees
OBJECTIVE: To compare the characteristics, utilization, and outcomes of Veterans Health Administration (VA) and non-VA inpatient care provided to VA enrollees in New York. METHODS: Using VA and New York State administrative and clinical databases, we conducted a retrospective study examining 110,716 residents of New York State who were enrolled in the VA and had 266,869 inpatient admissions in VA and non-VA hospitals in New York. For each admissi…
When VA Patients Have Non-VA Hospitalizations, Who Pays for What Services, and What Are the Research Implications
OBJECTIVE: To determine, for Veterans Health Administration (VA) enrollees who lived and were hospitalized in New York State between 1998 and 2000, the primary payers for their non-VA admissions, whether the primary payer mix varied by condition treated, and whether the Medicare claims data that VA acquired on its Medicare-enrolled patients captured all or most of their non-VA inpatient care. METHODS: Using VA and New York State administrative an…
Practical and Policy Implications of Using Different Rural‐Urban Classification Systems
Context: Several classification systems exist for defining rural areas, which may lead to different interpretations of rural health services data. Purpose: To compare rural classification systems on their implications for estimating Veterans Administration (VA) utilization. Methods: Using 7 classification systems, we counted VA health care enrollees who lived in each category, and number admitted to VA hospitals or non‐VA hospitals under Medicare…
Do Older Rural and Urban Veterans Experience Different Rates of Unplanned Readmission to VA and Non‐VA Hospitals
Context: Unplanned readmission within 30 days of discharge is an indicator of hospital quality. Purpose: We wanted to determine whether older rural veterans who were enrolled in the VA had different rates of unplanned readmission to VA or non‐VA hospitals than their urban counterparts. Methods: We used the combined VA/Medicare dataset to examine 3,513,912 hospital admissions for older veterans that occurred in VA or non‐VA hospitals between 1997 …
Defining “Rural” for Veterans’ Health Care Planning
PURPOSE: The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) devised an algorithm to classify veterans as Urban, Rural, or Highly Rural residents. To understand the policy implications of the VHA scheme, we compared its categories to 3 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and 4 Rural-Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) geographical categories. METHOD: Using residence information for VHA health care enrollees, we compared urban-rural classifications under the VHA, …
A Longitudinal Analysis of Rural and Urban Veterans’ Health-Related Quality of Life
CONTEXT: Cross-sectional studies have identified rural-urban disparities in veterans' health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) scores. PURPOSE: To determine whether longitudinal analyses confirmed that these disparities in veterans' HRQOL scores persisted. METHODS: We obtained data from the SF-12 portion of the veterans health administration's (VA's) Survey of Healthcare Experiences of Patients (SHEP) collected between 2002 and 2006. During that ti…
The Effect of Increased Travel Reimbursement Rates on Health Care Utilization in the VA
Purpose : The reimbursement rate that eligible veterans receive for travel to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities increased from 11 to 28.5 cents per mile on February 1, 2008. We examined the effect of this policy change on utilization of outpatient, inpatient, and pharmacy services, stratifying veterans based on distance from a VA facility. Methods : We compared health care utilization and costs on a sample of VA patients in the 10.5 …
Utilization of Travel Reimbursement in the Veterans Health Administration
PURPOSE: To improve access to care, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) increased its patient travel reimbursement rate from 11 to 28.5 cents per mile on February 1, 2008, and again to 41.5 cents per mile on November 17, 2008. We identified characteristics of veterans more likely to receive travel reimbursements and evaluated the impact of these increases on utilization of the benefit. METHODS: We examined the likelihood of receiving any rei…
Insured Veterans’ Use of VA and Non‐VA Health Care in a Rural State
PURPOSE: To understand how working-age VA-enrolled veterans with commercial insurance use both VA and non-VA outpatient care, and how rural residence affects dual use, for common diagnoses and procedures. METHODS: We analyzed VA and non-VA outpatient treatment records for any months during 2005-2010 that New Hampshire veterans ages <65 were simultaneously enrolled in VA health care and commercial insurance (per NH's mandatory claims database). Co…
Veteran Use of Health Care Systems in Rural States
OBJECTIVE: To quantify use of VA and non-VA care among working-age veterans with private insurance by linking VA data to private health insurance plan (PHIP) data. METHODS: Demographics and utilization were compared between dual users of VA and non-VA systems versus single-system users for veterans < 65 living in 2 rural Midwestern states concurrently enrolled in VA health care and a PHIP for ≥ 1 complete federal fiscal year from 2000 to 2010. Ch…
Differences Among States in Rural Veterans’ Use of VHA and Non‐VHA Hospitals
PURPOSE: To understand how vouchers for non-VHA care of VHA-enrolled veterans might affect rural enrollees, we determined how much enrollees use VHA and non-VHA inpatient care, and whether this use varies substantially between rural and urban residents depending on state of residence. METHODS: For veterans listed in the 2007 VHA enrollment file as living in Arizona, Iowa, Louisiana, Tennessee, Florida, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, or New York, w…
Medicine (14 works) · Primary Care and Health Outcomes (13 works) · Family medicine (10 works) · Gerontology (10 works) · Health care (10 works) · Rural area (8 works) · Demography (7 works) · Healthcare Policy and Management (7 works) · Chronic Disease Management Strategies (6 works) · Emergency Medicine (6 works)