Providers' and Administrators' Perceptions of Complementary and Integrative Health Practices Across the Veterans...

Area of Science:

• Integrative Medicine
• Healthcare Services Research
• Veterans Health

Background:

• The Veterans Health Administration (VA) promotes complementary and integrative health (CIH) therapies.
• Adoption of CIH services may not align with promotional efforts.
• Understanding perceptions of CIH across different VA medical centers (VAMCs) is crucial for effective implementation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore perceptions of CIH at one VAMC.
• To compare these perceptions with those from a sample of other VAMCs.
• To identify barriers and facilitators to CIH adoption within the VA system.

Main Methods:

• Subset of qualitative findings from a mixed-methods study.
• Interviews conducted with 22 individuals across 6 geographically diverse VAMCs.
• Sites selected based on CIH offerings, interest, and location; interviewees asked standardized questions.

Main Results:

• Variable access to CIH services necessitates workarounds.
• Barriers include limited space and credentialing challenges; facilitators include strong champions and veteran demand.
• CIH is valued for non-pharmacologic pain control, mental health/PTSD treatment, and staff morale; demand often exceeds supply even at high-performing sites.

Conclusions:

• CIH therapies can benefit active-duty military transitioning to veteran status.
• The VA must actively support CIH proponents and secure congressional backing.
• Achieving personalized, proactive, patient-driven healthcare requires comprehensive CIH service promotion.