Veterans' health and access to care in the year after September 11, 2001

Abstract

Objective: The goal was to explore veterans' perceptions of their health care in the year after September 11, 2001. Methods: A random sample of outpatients seen at a Manhattan (New York City) or Midwestern Veterans Affairs facility between September 12, 2001, and September 30, 2002, received a mailed questionnaire. Regression assessed the effects of site, demographic features, military service, and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on health status, care-seeking, and satisfaction with health care among 490 patients. Results: Veterans from New York City reported better health and more satisfaction that their providers listened to them. Patients with more PTSD symptoms reported poorer health, more September 11-related symptoms, and less satisfaction with care and were more likely to seek care outside the Veterans Affairs system. Conclusions: Proximity to the September 11 terrorist attacks had little relationship to patients' perceptions of their health and health care, whereas PTSD symptoms had a pervasive effect. Patients with PTSD symptoms may require outreach programs to assist them in dealing with catastrophic events, regardless of their proximity to the events.