A State Level Analysis of Variation in Healthcare Quality and Outcomes Across Veterans Health Administration Facilities

Abstract

This thesis examens documented variance in quality across Veterans Health Administration facilities and proposes demographic information including race, gender, and age demographics as explanatory factors for this variance. This thesis utilizes ANOVA analyses followed by a linear regression model in order to ascertain the degree to which these factors may influence patient outcomes within these facilities including 30-day readmissions and death rates for congestive heart failure, pneumonia, and acute myocardial infarction. This thesis finds significant correlations between male veteran and likely user population and congestive heart failure related deaths, male veteran population and readmissions due to congestive heart failure and pneumonia, and black veteran populations with readmission rates across the board, suggesting that congestive heart failure treatment quality may be linked to demographic factors associated with higher rates of usage and that quality of care for black veteran populations may need to be revisited.