Defense Health Care: Availability and Quality Measurement of Women's Health Care Services in U.S. Military Hospitals

Abstract

DOD provides health care services to active-duty servicemembers, their dependents, and others, in part through direct care provided at military hospitals and clinics located on military bases. Women represent a significant percentage of the population eligible for MHS services, comprising nearly half of the 7 million adults eligible for coverage at the end of fiscal year 2014. In recent years, DODs study of the quality of care in the MHS raised questions about the quality of health care at military hospitals, including the quality of womens health care services. The Carl Levin and Howard P. Buck McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 included a provision for GAO to describe the availability of womens health care services at military hospitals, particularly maternity care, and the measurement and monitoring of the quality of these services.This report describes: (1) the extent to which womens health care services are available to servicemembers and other beneficiaries at domestic military hospitals; (2) how the MHS selects quality measures for womens health care services provided at military hospitals; and (3) the quality measures that the MHS has selected for womens health care services and how they are used to improve the quality of care. GAO reviewed documentation, information, and data provided by DOD and the military services, on womens health care services available as of July 2015, and interviewed officials from DOD, the military services and NCR, and six hospitals (selected based on military service, geographic diversity, and volume of deliveries).

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 2016
Accession Number
AD1013831

Entities

People

  • Debra A. Draper

Organizations

  • United States Government Accountability Office

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Congress
  • Diseases And Disorders
  • Health Services
  • Medical Personnel
  • Military Hospitals
  • Military Medicine
  • Patient Care
  • Pregnancy Complications
  • Surgery
  • Therapy
  • United States Government

Fields of Study

  • Medicine
  • Political science

Readers

  • Government Contracting/Procurement.
  • Medical or Health Care Field.
  • Public Financial Management and Budgeting