Equity in Veterans’ Mental Health Care: Veterans Affairs Medical Center Clinics Versus Community-Based Outpatient Clinics

This study compared Veterans Administration medical centre clinics to community-based outpatient clinics. A survey was conducted of nurse managers at 46 of 49 primary care clinics within a Veterans Administration health care network in the south central United States. Integration of care & services overall was comparable between the two groups. Integrated Veterans Administration medical centres more frequently used written suicide protocols & depression screening than communibty-based outpatient clinics. (37 refs)