SynthesisJournal of general internal medicine2008
Racial and ethnic disparities in the VA health care system: a systematic review.
Synthesis in Journal of general internal medicine, 2008. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT02621476 (Encouraging Mail Order Pharmacy Use to Improve Outcomes and Reduce Disparities), which is not on this map. Cited by 145 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Encouraging Mail Order Pharmacy Use to Improve Outcomes and Reduce Disparities
Who cites it
145 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Equity and Cancer Survival Among Veterans Health Administration Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.JAMA network open · 2026Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Racial and Ethnic Disparities in COVID-19-Related Infections, Hospitalizations, and Deaths : A Systematic Review.Annals of internal medicine · 2021Pooled it
- Comparing VA and Non-VA Quality of Care: A Systematic Review.Journal of general internal medicine · 2017Pooled it
- Cultural relevance in medication adherence interventions with underrepresented adults: systematic review and meta-analysis of outcomes.Preventive medicine · 2014Pooled it
- Systematic review: The role of race and socioeconomic factors on IBD healthcare delivery and effectiveness.Inflammatory bowel diseases · 2013Pooled it
- Intersectional pain disparities and resilience in veterans with chronic pain.Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association · 2026Trial
- Equity Using Interventions for Pain and Depression (EQUIPD): A pilot randomized trial.The journal of pain · 2025Trial
- A Randomized Encouragement Trial to Increase Mail Order Pharmacy Use and Medication Adherence in Patients with Diabetes.Journal of general internal medicine · 2021Trial
- Taking ACTION to reduce pain: ACTION study rationale, design and protocol of a randomized trial of a proactive telephone-based coaching intervention for chronic musculoskeletal pain among African Americans.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2017Trial
- Racial differences in veterans' satisfaction with examination of disability from posttraumatic stress disorder.Psychiatric services (Washington, D.C.) · 2013Trial
- Presence and correlates of racial disparities in adherence to colorectal cancer screening guidelines.Journal of general internal medicine · 2011Trial
- Neighborhood-level socioeconomic disadvantage and pancreatic cancer among veterans.JNCI cancer spectrum · 2026Article
- Intra-aortic Balloon Pump Utilization Prior to Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: Social Determinants of Health.Journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions · 2026Article
- Blood Pressure Control and Maintenance in U.S. Veterans: Roles of Sex, Race, Ethnicity, and Deprivation.JACC. Advances · 2025Article
- Excessive daytime sleepiness and mortality: racial/ethnic variations in a large cohort of veterans.Sleep medicine · 2025Article
- Examining racial and ethnic differences in health care expenditures among older adults with arthritis in the United States.Journal of managed care & specialty pharmacy · 2025Article
- Exploring deep brain stimulation willingness in Black individuals with Parkinson's disease.Equity neuroscience · 2025Article
- Information sources as determinants of use of formal long-term care: a cross-sectional study in Taiwan.BMC health services research · 2025Article
- Leveraging Policy Solutions for Diabetes Disparities: Suggestions for Improving the National Clinical Care Commission Report's Recommendations for Hispanic/Latino Populations.Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities · 2025Article
85 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectivesTo better understand the causes of racial disparities in health care, we reviewed and synthesized existing evidence related to disparities in the "equal access" Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system.
methodsWe systematically reviewed and synthesized evidence from studies comparing health care utilization and quality by race within the VA.
resultsRacial disparities in the VA exist across a wide range of clinical areas and service types. Disparities appear most prevalent for medication adherence and surgery and other invasive procedures, processes that are likely to be affected by the quantity and quality of patient-provider communication, shared decision making, and patient participation. Studies indicate a variety of likely root causes of disparities including: racial differences in patients' medical knowledge and information sources, trust and skepticism, levels of participation in health care interactions and decisions, and social support and resources; clinician judgment/bias; the racial/cultural milieu of health care settings; and differences in the quality of care at facilities attended by different racial groups.
conclusionsExisting evidence from the VA indicates several promising targets for interventions to reduce racial disparities in the quality of health care.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.