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Join the VA Office
of Health Equity for September’s Focus on Health Equity and
Action Cyberseminar session. The session
includes the use of the VA Virtual Medical Center to promote health equity for
Veterans. Presenters will focus on the use of flipped classroom methodologies
to transform traditional training approaches and how virtual training
modalities can advance Veteran selfcare and health promotion for achieving
health equity.
 Promoting Health Equity with the Virtual Medical Center
Thursday, September 28, 2017
3:00 – 4:00pm EST
Learning Objectives:
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Understand
how flipped classroom methodologies can transform traditional training
approaches in VA for staff and Veterans;
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Learn
how to advance Veteran self-care and health promotion using a 3D virtual
environment; and
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Increase
awareness of VA examples of these approaches to tackle areas of disparities
among Veterans.
Confirmed Speakers
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Rosalyn P. Scott, MD
Regional Director Specialty Care Center of Innovation (WEST),
Long Beach VA Medical Center
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Uchenna S. Uchendu, MD
Chief Officer, Office of Health Equity, VA Central Office, Washington, DC
Background Resources
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VA Virtual Medical Center. Available online at https://vavmc.com/.
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Scott RP, Uchendu US, Dominquez M. Spectrum of Virtual Patient-Based Decision-Making Simulations Implemented in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE) Annual Conference, Helsinki, Finland, August 26-30, 2017. Available online - see page 306.
- McLaughlin JE, Roth MT, Glatt DM, Gharkholonarehe N, Davidson CA, Griffin LM, et al. (2014). The Flipped Classroom: A Course Redesign to Foster Learning and Engagement in a Health Professions School. Academic Medicine, 89(2), 236-243. Available online.
Intended Audiences
Researchers, clinicians, care coordinators, policy makers,
educators, Veteran stakeholders and representatives of vulnerable Veteran
groups who are interested in understanding and/or promoting equitable health
among all Veterans.
The
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has just released their
annual National
Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report (QDR). This
annual report, which is mandated by Congress, provides a comprehensive overview
of the quality of health care received by the general U.S. population and
disparities in care experienced by different racial and socioeconomic groups.
The report assesses the performance of health care system and identifies areas
of strengths and weaknesses, as well as disparities, for access to health care
and quality of health care.
While the QDR does not specifically address health care
quality and disparities for Veterans, the Looking
Forward section of the QDR mentions the National Veteran Health Equity
Report (NVHER) developed by the VA Office of Health Equity. As
reported in the QDR, “Although the QDR does not include data on veterans, data
are available from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The Office of
Health Equity has conducted research and published the National Veteran Health
Equity Report, which showed burden of diseases for veterans.”
The NVHER 1) details
patterns and provides comparative rates of health conditions for vulnerable
Veteran groups and 2) allows the VA, Veterans, and stakeholders to monitor the
care vulnerable Veterans receive and set goals for improving their care.
Together, the QDR and NVHER are important tools for monitoring and improving
health care and wellbeing for Veterans and the general population.
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In
2015, VHA’s National Leadership Council Workforce subcommittee on Diversity and
Inclusion took action to design a video to raise awareness of the importance of
diversity and inclusion The Respect, Education,
Awareness, Collaboration, and Honesty (REACH) video is a collection of
stories from Veterans and employees from across the VA.
The
purpose of the REACH video is to:
- Increase individuals’ basic knowledge of diversity and inclusion;
- Bring awareness to VA’s goal of becoming a diverse and inclusive
healthcare system, employer, and a safe space for all Veterans; and
- Increase collaboration between VA and other federal agencies to
address diversity and inclusion.
The
REACH video aligns with the VHA Health Equity Action Plan (HEAP). For example,
improving cultural and linguistic competency and the diversity of the
health-related workforce is the fourth goal of the HEAP, which is VA’s
strategic roadmap to achieving health equity.
The
REACH video takes special interest in identifying stories which focus on rural
healthcare equity; homelessness; lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender; and
military service (e.g., Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom,
Operation New Dawn, and Vietnam).
A
diverse and inclusive workforce is essential to health equity by ensuring a
workforce that is reflective of our Veteran population and has the cultural competency
to serve everyone regardless of Veteran’s race, ethnicity, sex, gender, sexual
orientation, disability, social economic status, religion, military era, etc.
The VA
Office of Health Equity (OHE) is pleased to share a new
resource from our partners at the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Minority Health. The FDA has launched a series of educational
videos and materials to raise awareness of the importance of participation by
Latinos and other minorities in clinical trials. These videos highlight the
importance of why diversity is needed to help ensure that medical products are
safe and effective for everyone.
The OHE supports and strongly encourages the participation
of Veterans in clinical trials. As the FDA reminds us, participation in
clinical trials is voluntary and confidential.
The current video, Latinos Can Make a Difference
in Clinical Trials, is available at the link below and by
visiting the OHE
Tools Webpage for Veterans, health professionals, and
stakeholders.
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