Veterans Affairs: Service Delays at VA Outpatient Facilities (Testimony,
10/27/93, GAO/T-HRD-94-5).

Veterans are experiencing lengthy delays when receiving medical care at
the approximately 200 outpatient facilities run by the Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA).  Veterans often wait up to three hours before
being examined by a doctor in VA's emergency/screening clinics.  In
addition, veterans wait an average of eight to nine weeks for an
appointment in specialty clinics, such as those for cardiology or
orthopedics.  Inefficient operating procedures are the main cause of
these delays.  President Clinton has called for VA to compete with other
providers in meeting the health care needs of veterans.  To be a viable
competitor, VA needs to quickly restructure its outpatient care delivery
system to provide more timely ambulatory services.  The establishment of
telephone assistance networks and appointment scheduling systems, for
example, would help in the case of veterans with nonurgent conditions.

--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------

 REPORTNUM:  T-HRD-94-5
     TITLE:  Veterans Affairs: Service Delays at VA Outpatient Facilities
      DATE:  10/27/93
   SUBJECT:  Veterans hospitals
             Health care services
             Health services administration
             Patient care services
             Health centers
             Medical examinations
             Health care planning
             Health resources utilization
             Veterans benefits
             Emergency medical services

             
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