Care for the OEF and OIF Veterans with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder - Research Paper Example

Improving the Quality of Comprehensive Care for the OEF and OIF Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Research Questions 1. How efficiently can quality of Comprehensive care be improved to ensure quality care to the OEF and OIF with posttraumatic stress disorder? 2. To what extent are the problems faced by the OEF and OIF with posttraumatic disorder matched by the available ways of serving them? Research Objectives 1. The general objective of this research was to determine how efficiently quality of comprehensive care be improved to ensure quality care to the OEF and OIF with posttraumatic stress disorder. 2. The paper also sought to determine the extent to which the problems faced by the OEF and OIF with posttraumatic disorder matched by the available ways of serving them. Sub-related questions 1. What are the most common problems facing the war veteran’s over the world? 2. What are the medical covers available for the victims of posttraumatic disorders? 3. What are the inefficiencies in the health care provision of the PSTD veterans? Relevance of the Sub-related questions The sub-related questions form the basis of finding the needed results for the general objectives of this paper. To find an effective measure of improving quality of health care for the victims of posttraumatic disorder, the first question will help find the main problem to be addressed in order to avoid cases of mismatch of services and problems experienced. The second sub-related question on the will helps the available medical cover for the victims of posttraumatic disorder in order to help make any further recommendations on where and how to improve the services. Finally, the last sub-related question will assist in pointing the inefficiencies in the health care services offered to the PSTD veterans. Knowing these inefficiencies will help the researcher to make educated recommendations as per what measures can be taken to address them. Important Information about the Issue and Types of Data to be collected To understand the issue of quality of comprehensive care for the OEF and OIF veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder, the research must understand the kind of challenges these veterans go through in the battlefields. Also of importance is information on the available medical care options at the disposal of these veterans plus the number qualified personnel in this area. The data to be collected, on the other hand, will mostly be experiences and awareness of the victims. To answer question one, the researcher will collect data on current number of patient to doctor ratio, recorded challenges faced by medical personnel and veterans opinions on the current state of health services. To address question two, I will collect data on the available medical services available to the veterans and compare with data on the types of PTSD suffered mostly by the OEF and OIF veterans. The research will also collect records of relevant institutions that will be analyzed qualitatively. Action Plan The paper desired for a future in which medical programs offer the best possible financial and technical support to those who had sacrificed their comfort to help the OIF/OEF veterans. The policies must be able to authorize veterans to provide basic caregivers of the OIF/OEF veterans with access to health care services, psychological support, and mental counseling. The paper proposes a program that will allow registered caregivers to receive stipends in order to travel and attend appointments with the veterans and their family members. In order to achieve this, I will collaborate with the government and relevant stakeholders to ensure proper implementation of the program. Literature Review Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is defined as a psychological response to a traumatic situation (Resnik, 2011). However, if history of trauma is taken into account, diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder becomes more difficult. Symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder are categorized into three categories (Creswell, 1994). The first category is called re-experiencing. This stage involves recurring nightmares associated with the traumatic event. The second category of symptoms is called avoidance where the victim tends to avoid conversation about the traumatic event (Jasper, 2009). Finally yet importantly is arousal where the victim has difficulty in sleeping. In order to be recommended for medical attention, the symptoms must persist for at least a month and must show evidence of clinically significant distress or simply impairment in functioning. Prevalence of PTSD among OEF/OIF Veterans Using VA Health Care The Department of Veterans Affairs, (VA) shows that the prevalence of PTSD among users of its health care stands at 29% (Department of VA, 2010). This data is however taken with limitation to condition that the figures presented by VA may be overstated, understated and finally that the numbers provided by the VA should not be extrapolated to all OEF/OIF veterans (Jasper, 2009). The last limitation is because the OEF/OIF using VA health care do not necessarily represent all OEF/OIF veterans or the wider family of the veterans. Prevalence of OEF/OIF Veterans Using VA Healthcare Information about PTSD prevalence from other sources not limited to users of VA health care vary widely. A 2010-RAND analysis by Institute of Medicine shows that PTSD prevalence varies within the range of 1% to 60% among OEF/OIF service members (Department of VA, 2009). In 2012, the same institution found out that recent estimate of PTSD prevalence among OEF/OIF service members and veterans varies within a range of 13% to 20% (Department of VA, 2008). Treatment of PTSD; A case of VA Health Care System The VA health care system requires that veterans who have never received VA health care services start receiving a PTSD screening (VA office of public health, 2010). The screening is repeated every year for the initial five years and five years to follow except when there is a sign of clinical need to screening earlier. The policies of VA health care system also demand that any referred patient or new case be given an initial assessment within 24 hours and a full check-up within a period of fourteen days (Creswell, 1994). Several reports too, as referenced, have made a recommendation worth considering on the evaluation of the VA’s PTSD screening and treatment efforts. Research Plan The success criteria this research will be based on the full implementation of its proposal in improving quality of health care by the Department of the Veterans Affairs. In collecting baseline data, I will randomly sample my target audience, both the OEF/OIF veterans and health officials. I will then measure or collect data about their knowledge, attitude, skills and level of satisfaction with the current state of medical care. To determine if the intervention is successful, I will reassess the baseline data by comparing what was happening before the implementation of the program and what happens after. Apart from baseline data, the research could have fulfilled these data need by collecting raw data from past and present victims. This need could have met through questionnaires, interviews or actual observation in medical facilities offering services to victims of PTSD. Data Analysis This will help me review the gathered data and make inferences or determination from the information. The paper will employ quantitative analysis techniques, exploratory data analysis and confirmatory data analysis. After collecting the data, will then perform a regression analysis to get the real picture of the situation. The project will also analyze its data through graphs, pie charts and tables. The technique of data collection will include questionnaires, interviews and observation of the actual happenings within the medical facilities. Ethical Consideration Since my research involves human beings who have gone through a lot of harsh experiences, I will adhere to strict ethical so, not to hurt this emotionally vulnerable population. I will, therefore, distribute consent form to the identified individual before carrying out the research. Important to the consent form will be the victims’ national identity number, official names, and signature. Potential ethical concerns such as mention names or those of family and asking questions deemed personal will, therefore, be treated as delicate as they deserve. Finally, all study data will not be exposed or used for any other reason apart from making the study relevant. Projects Evaluation To determine if the project is successful, I will reassess the baseline data by comparing what was happening before the implementation of the program and what happens after. The data collected must be in line with the research questions and any other data outside the scope of the paper will be considered null and void. I will, therefore, asses if the research question and objectives are met by checking the relevance of the data collected, biasness in data presentation and correct interpretation of the regression rations. Dissemination Plan This part gives a clear systematic milestone that I took in doing my research. It gives a brief description and time allocate to each milestone. Management Plan Task Worksheet Task or Activity Person Responsible Duration Due Date Resources Needed Comments Approximate Cost Research Ethics Education Completion Researcher 3hrs July 2014 Description and nature of persons involved plus the kind of data to be collected Check address and directions Travel: $20.00 Meeting the Committee to Approve the Topic Researcher 1hr July 2014 Description of research project Check venue and direction snacks $ 12.00 Meeting Mentor to approve Research Plan Researcher 2hrs July 2014 Description of the research plan Check address and direction Travel $ 15.00 Meeting the Committee to approved Research Plan Researcher 2hrs July 2014 Description of research plan Confirm venue, time and direction Snacks and Travel $ 21.00 Meeting the School to approved Research Plan Researcher 2hrs July 2014 Description of the research plan Check the address and meeting room Travel $ 10.00 Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval IRB 3hrs July 2014 The research topic and plan Check the registration and mobile number Mail and printing $ 8.00 Pre-Data Collection Call Mentor 30min August 2014 - - - Meeting mentor Approved Chapters 1 – 4 Researcher 2hrs August 2014 Copies of chapter1-4 Check time and venue Travel and printing $27.00 Meeting mentor for Approval of Chapter 5 and Final Dissertation Researcher 21/2hrs August 2014 Copies of chapter 5 and the final dissertation Check address and venue Travel $ 10.00 Committee Approved Dissertation Committee 2hrs August 2014 Copy of dissertation Check mail and office desk Mail $ printing $ 30.00 School Approved Dissertation School 2hrs August 2014 Copy of dissertation Check mail and office desk Mail $ printing $ 30.00 Format Editing Completed Researcher 3hrs August 2014 Copy of dissertation Check mail and address Mail $ 1.00 Final Conference Call mentor 15min August 2014 - - - Final Manuscript Approved Researcher 1hr August 2014 Final manuscript Check mail and office desk Mail and printing $ 32.00 Manuscript Submitted for Publication Researcher 1hr August 2014 Final manuscript Check mail and office desk Mail and printing $ 32.00 Dean’s Final Manuscript Approval Dean 2hr August 2014 Published manuscript Check address and venue Travel $ 11.0 The Budget ITEM/DESCRIPTION AMOUNT ($) Travel 66 Mail & Printing 133 Snacks & travel 33 Travel & Printing 27 Total Budget 259 References Creswell, J. W. (1994). Research Design: Qualitative & Quantitative Approaches. New York, SAGE Publications. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Healthcare Inspection (September, 2008).Evaluation of Suicide Prevention Program Implementation in Veterans Health Administration Facilities January–June, 2009, Report Number 09-00326-223 Jasper, M. (2009). Veterans rights and benefits. New York: Oceana. Resnik, D. B. (2011). What is ethics in research and why is it important? New York: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. VA health care mild traumatic brain injury screening and evaluation implemented for OEF/OIF veterans, but challenges remain: Report to congressional requesters. (2008).Washington, D.C.: U.S. Govt. Accountability Office. VA Office of Public Health and Environmental Hazards. (February, 2010). Analysis of VA health care utilization among Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) veterans. Washington, DC: Author. Read More