RESEARCH ORGANIZATIONS IN THE DEPARTMENT-OF-VETERANS-AFFAIRS THAT FOCUS ON DATABASE ANALYSIS

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) established several internal r esearch organizations to analyze the many VA and non-VA databases. The information obtained assists VA in achieving its objective of providi ng cost-effective, high-quality health care for veterans. Each group h as a unique and well-defined function. All major informational inputs needed for VA planning are covered by the groups: resource allocation, workload requirements, population projections, and technology assessm ent, among others. Both managerial and academic research are conducted . The Department of Veterans Affairs has demonstrated flexibility in i nitiating new research centers as the need arises, such as during the recent health care reform debates. The Department of Veterans Affairs has provided for the dissemination of information about research and d atabases by explicitly including this task as the focus of one group. A drawback to VA's research system is the minimal intercommunication a mong the groups. Learning about VA's internal research structure can a ssist other multihospital systems to identify their informational need s and establish suitable research organizations.