Clinical Care Quality Among Veterans Health Administration Patients With Mental Illness Following Medical Home Implementation

This study sought to compare quality of care following medical home implementation among Veterans Health Administration (VHA) primary care patients with and without mental illness.

VHA primary care patients seen between April 2010 and March 2013 whose medical records were reviewed by the VHA External Peer Review Program were identified. The proportion of patients meeting quality indicators in each mental illness group (depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorder, substance use disorder, serious mental illness, and any mental illness) was compared with the proportion of patients without mental illness. Sample sizes ranged from 210,864 to 236,421. Differences of 5.0% or greater were deemed clinically important, and higher proportions indicated higher quality of care across 33 clinical indicators.

The proportion of veterans meeting clinical quality indicators ranged from 64.7% to 99.6%. Differences of ≥5.0% between veterans with and without mental illness were detected in six of 33 indicators. A greater proportion of veterans with mental illness received influenza immunizations (age 50–64) and had documented left ventricular functioning (among veterans with chronic heart failure) compared with veterans without mental illness. A lower proportion of veterans with substance use disorders or severe mental illness received colorectal cancer screening or met indicators related to recommended medications if diagnosed as having diabetes or ischemic heart disease.

Contrary to earlier reports of lower-quality care, patients with and without mental illness had similar preventive and chronic disease management care quality following medical home implementation.