Population Page - Rural Veterans
Information Briefs
This information brief highlights data from the Office of Health Equity-QUERI Partnered Evaluation Center on the increased risk of suicide and chronic disease prevalence amongst rural Veterans. The Information Brief also highlights national partnership efforts that VA is engaged in to increased access to telehealth services for Veterans living in rural areas to help them overcome geographical barriers to accessing VA health care.
Focus on Health Equity and Action Cyberseminars
Some vulnerable Veterans may experience disparities in health and healthcare outcomes. These disparities adversely affect groups of people who have systematically experienced greater social and/or economic obstacles to health and/or a clean environment based on racial or ethnic group; gender; age; geography; religion; socio-economic status; sexual orientation; mental health; military era; cognitive, sensory, or physical disability; and other characteristics historically linked to discrimination or exclusion. The current roundtable discussion will feature subject matter experts who served as chapter leads for VA’s first ever National Veteran Health Equity Report. Panelists will explore the state of health and healthcare, trends, best and promising practices, and other pertinent health equity issues that should be considered for improving health for racial/ethnic, women, rural and other Veterans.
VA Research Publications
Health Disparities Evidence-based Synthesis Reviews
- Rural Healthcare Workforce: A Systematic Review
- Rural vs. Urban Ambulatory Health Care Review
- Interventions to Improve Veterans' Access to Care: A Systematic Review of the Literature
PubMed Search Results
Resources from VHA Office of Rural Health
Watch this video to learn the story behind the VHA Office of Rural Health and its mission to support the health and well-being of Veterans who live in rural communities – by removing barriers to care.
The VHA Office of Rural Health has identified impactful models of care that increase access to care and services for Veterans and share knowledge among health care professionals serving rural Veterans. These proven models are being implemented nationwide and are known as Rural Promising Practices.
VA National Partners
The Office of Health Equity is committed to working closely with our VA colleagues to ensure that Veterans receive appropriate individualized health care in a way that eliminates disparate health outcomes and assures health equity. OHE's VA Partners include:External Partners
The Office of Health Equity is committed to working closely with other government agencies and non-governmental organizations to ensure that Veterans receive appropriate individualized health care in a way that eliminates disparate health outcomes and assures health equity. OHE's External Partners include:Office of Rural Health Trainings
VHA Providers Explore Unconscious Bias
VHA providers share their stories of creating awareness of unconscious bias within their clinical practice and how bias impacts us all. A bias is a tendency. Most biases are natural. However, biases can cause problems when we are not aware of them and we apply them inappropriately to our everyday choices, which can lead to discriminatory practices and result in poorer health outcomes and experiences for patients. The brief videos were created by the VA Office of Health Equity and Employee Education System in an effort to ensure all Veterans receive high quality and equitable healthcare. The videos were recorded April 2013.- Developing Clinical Awareness (3:44)
- Impact on Clinical Practice (3:15)
- Importance of Knowing Your Own Bias (3:37)
- Health Equity Stories to Share (6:15)
Harvard Implicit Associations Test
The Implicit Association Test measures attitudes and beliefs that people may be unwilling or unable to report. This tool may be especially interesting if it shows that you have an implicit attitude that you did not know about.