Well-Being Measurement
The Well-Being Signs is a three-question screening tool that was designed to provide a quick and easy way to assess how Veterans are doing in their daily lives. It focuses on the things that are most important to them. This scale connects the dots between healthcare recommendations and reasons to follow them, helps clinicians make relevant and impactful referrals, and changes the way to value how an encounter is measured.
The Well-Being Signs asks about whether Veterans can:
- Participate in the roles and activities that are most important to them,
- Function well in those roles and activities, and
- Are generally satisfied with how things are going with them.
How is it different from a Veteran’s MAP?
The Mission, Aspiration and Purpose question focuses on what is most important to a Veteran. The Well-Being Signs focus on whether a Veteran can actually do what’s most important to them. The Well-Being Signs builds on the Mission, Aspiration and Purpose question with a numerical score that captures a Veteran’s overall well-being.
How could it enhance your clinical practice?
It is simple to use and can be a used both as a decision-making tool for treatment planning and referrals, including to Whole Health programs.
- It can open the door to conversation about life factors that can significantly impact health care behavior, but that Veterans sometimes find difficult to disclose.
- It may even get Veterans to talk with you about things they may be hesitant to mention during clinical visits and which could impact their care.
- It be used as baseline and outcome measures to monitor a Veteran's progress in psychosocial well-being following engagement in VHA health care.
Learn More About Well-Being Signs
Well-Being Signs Fact Sheet: Learn more about the Well-Being Signs with this fact sheet, which outlines what it is, how it could enhance your clinical practice, and how to get started with the screening tool.
Well-Being Signs Pocket Guide: Use this easy-to-reference pocket guide in clinical encounters with your patients by asking them to consider the most important things that they do, or wish to do, in their daily lives.
Well-Being Signs SharePoint (available to VA-staff only): Find more resources about the Well-Being Signs, its link to Whole Health Directive 1445, and more on the Whole Health Implementation SharePoint site.
