Research organizations in the Department of Veterans Affairs that focus on database analysis

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) established several internal research organizations to analyze the many VA and non-VA databases. The information obtained assists VA in achieving its objective of providing cost-effective, high quality health care for veterans. Each group has a unique and well-defined function. All major informational inputs needed for VA planning are covered by the groups: resource allocation, workload requirements, population projections, and technology assessment, among others. Both managerial and academic research are conducted. The Department of Veterans Affairs has demonstrated flexibility in initiating new research center as the need arises, such as during the recent health care reform debates. The Department of Veterans Affairs has provided for the dissemination of information about research and databases by explicitly including this task as the focus of one group. A drawback to VA's research system is the minimal intercommunication among the groups. Learning about VA's internal research structure can assist other multihospital systems to identify their informational needs and establish suitable research organizations.