TY - JOUR
AU - J. Tsai
AU - A. Lampros
AU - S. Clark
AU - A. Dunn
AU - T. P. O'Toole
A1 - 
AB - INTRODUCTION: Many adults involved in the criminal justice system have various healthcare needs. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) operates programs to connect criminal justice-involved veterans to healthcare, including primary care. This study examined veterans in the Veterans Justice Programs (VJP) to understand which veterans are not empaneled in VA primary care and their associated characteristics and service use. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted with 20 395 veterans who participated in VJP in 2023. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, clinical status, primary care empanelment, and service utilization from VHA medical records were analyzed. RESULTS: Across the country, about 88% of veterans in VJP were empaneled in primary care who attended a mean of 3.63 (SD = 4.63) primary care visits over 12 months compared to a mean of 0.18 (SD = 0.54) primary care visits among veterans not empaneled. Bivariate analyses found that empaneled veterans in VJP were significantly less likely to have any mental health or substance use disorder than non-empaneled veterans. However, multivariable analyses revealed the characteristics most strongly and significantly associated with empanelment in primary care among VJP veterans were use of outpatient medical care (aOR = 16.53, 95% CI = 9.32-31.43), use of outpatient mental health/substance use treatment (aOR = 1.83, 95% CI = 1.27-2.70), military sexual trauma (aOR = 1.66, 95% CI = 1.35-2.06), and being non-Hispanic black (aOR = 1.61, 95% CI = 1.35-1.96 compared to Hispanic black or white). CONCLUSIONS: Empanelment in primary care is associated with use of behavioral healthcare among criminal justice-involved veterans indicating opportunities for integrated care initiatives in VHA facilities.
AD - Homeless Programs Office, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Central Office, Washington, DC, USA.; Department of Management, Policy, and Community Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health, Houston, TX, USA.; Office of the Undersecretary for Health- Clinical Operations, Washington, DC, USA.; Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
AN - 40525421
BT - J Prim Care Community Health
C5 - Healthcare Disparities
DA - Jan-Dec
DO - 10.1177/21501319251348134
DP - NLM
ET - 20250617
JF - J Prim Care Community Health
LA - eng
N2 - INTRODUCTION: Many adults involved in the criminal justice system have various healthcare needs. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) operates programs to connect criminal justice-involved veterans to healthcare, including primary care. This study examined veterans in the Veterans Justice Programs (VJP) to understand which veterans are not empaneled in VA primary care and their associated characteristics and service use. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted with 20 395 veterans who participated in VJP in 2023. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, clinical status, primary care empanelment, and service utilization from VHA medical records were analyzed. RESULTS: Across the country, about 88% of veterans in VJP were empaneled in primary care who attended a mean of 3.63 (SD = 4.63) primary care visits over 12 months compared to a mean of 0.18 (SD = 0.54) primary care visits among veterans not empaneled. Bivariate analyses found that empaneled veterans in VJP were significantly less likely to have any mental health or substance use disorder than non-empaneled veterans. However, multivariable analyses revealed the characteristics most strongly and significantly associated with empanelment in primary care among VJP veterans were use of outpatient medical care (aOR = 16.53, 95% CI = 9.32-31.43), use of outpatient mental health/substance use treatment (aOR = 1.83, 95% CI = 1.27-2.70), military sexual trauma (aOR = 1.66, 95% CI = 1.35-2.06), and being non-Hispanic black (aOR = 1.61, 95% CI = 1.35-1.96 compared to Hispanic black or white). CONCLUSIONS: Empanelment in primary care is associated with use of behavioral healthcare among criminal justice-involved veterans indicating opportunities for integrated care initiatives in VHA facilities.
PY - 2025
SN - 2150-1319 (Print); 2150-1319
SP - 21501319251348134
ST - Criminal Justice-Involved Veterans Not Engaged in Primary Care in the Veterans Health Administration
T1 - Criminal Justice-Involved Veterans Not Engaged in Primary Care in the Veterans Health Administration
T2 - J Prim Care Community Health
TI - Criminal Justice-Involved Veterans Not Engaged in Primary Care in the Veterans Health Administration
U1 - Healthcare Disparities
U3 - 10.1177/21501319251348134
VL - 16
VO - 2150-1319 (Print); 2150-1319
Y1 - 2025
ER -