Rachel Kimerling

VA Palo Alto Health Care System · Center for Innovation to Implementation (Ci2i)

The application of unidimensional IRT models requires item response data to be unidimensional. Often, however, item response data contain a dominant dimension, as well as one or more nuisance dimensions caused by content clusters. Applying a unidimensional IRT model to multidimensional data causes violations of local independence, which can vitiate...

Objective: This analysis explored relationships between mental health symptoms and conditions and cognitive function in a cohort of Vietnam-era women veterans from the Health of Vietnam Era Veteran Women's Study (HealthViEWS). Methods: Vietnam-era women veterans completed a mail survey assessing self-reported symptom severity of posttraumatic stres...

Importance As video-based care expands in many clinical settings, assessing patient experiences with this care modality will help optimize health care quality, safety, and communication. Objective To develop and assess the psychometric properties of the video visit user experience (VVUE) measure, a patient-reported measure of experiences with vide...

Objective: To examine potential health disparities due to a broad reliance on telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic, the authors studied the impact of video-enabled tablets provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on psychotherapy usage among rural versus urban, Black versus White, and female versus male veterans. Methods: Psyc...

The Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist for DSM‐5 (PCL‐5) is a widely used self‐report measure of PTSD symptoms that has demonstrated strong psychometric properties across settings and samples. Co‐occurring hazardous alcohol use and PTSD are prevalent among veterans, and the effects of alcohol use may impact the performance of the PCL‐5....

Background: Telehealth has the potential to improve health care access for patients but it has been underused and understudied for examining patients with substance use disorders (SUD). VA began distributing video-enabled tablets to veterans with access barriers in 2016 to facilitate participation in home-based telehealth and expanded this program...

Background Healthcare engagement is a key measurement target for value-based healthcare, but a reliable and valid patient-reported measure has not yet been widely adopted.Objective To assess the validity of a newly developed patient-reported measure of healthcare engagement, the 8-item PROMIS Healthcare Engagement (PHE-8a).DesignProspective cohort...

Introduction Pregnant veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are at increased risk for spontaneous preterm birth, yet the underlying reasons are unclear. We examined factors associated with spontaneous preterm birth among pregnant veterans with active PTSD. Methods This was an observational study of births from administrative database...

Background Military sexual trauma (MST) is associated with negative mental health outcomes. Mental health beliefs, such as stigma or secondary victimization, have been identified as possible barriers to care; however, it is unclear whether such beliefs impact receiving care. Objective To assess if mental health beliefs impact MST-related mental he...

Importance: Suicide rates are rising disproportionately in rural counties, a concerning pattern as the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified suicide risk factors in these regions and exacerbated barriers to mental health care access. Although telehealth has the potential to improve access to mental health care, telehealth's effectiveness for suicide-r...

IMPORTANCE Suicide rates are rising disproportionately in rural counties, a concerning pattern as the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified suicide risk factors in these regions and exacerbated barriers to mental health care access. Although telehealth has the potential to improve access to mental health care, telehealth's effectiveness for suicide-rel...

As part of a scale development project, we fit a nominal response item response theory model to responses to the Health Care Engagement Measure (HEM). When using the original 5-point response format, categories were not ordered as intended for six of the 23 items. For the remaining, the category boundary discrimination between Categories 0 ( not at...

PurposeHealthcare engagement is a core measurement target for efforts to improve healthcare systems. This construct is broadly defined as the extent to which healthcare services represent collaborative partnerships with patients. Previous qualitative work operationalized healthcare engagement as generalized self-efficacy in four related subdomains:...

The article “Participatory System Dynamics Modeling: Increasing Stakeholder Engagement and Precision to Improve Implementation Planning in Systems”, written by “Lindsey Zimmerman, David W. Lounsbury, Craig S. Rosen, Rachel Kimerling, Jodie A. Trafton, Steven E. Lindley”, was originally published Online First without Open Access. After publication i...

Importance: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a serious mental health disorder that can be effectively treated with empirically based practices. PTSD screening is essential for identifying undetected cases and providing patients with appropriate care. Objective: To determine whether the Primary Care PTSD screen for the Diagnostic and Stati...

Improving patient experience is one strategy that may increase the quality of mental health care if better experience is linked to the likelihood of a potentially therapeutic dose (PTD) of treatment. This study sought to examine: (1) the proportion of women veterans who obtained a PTD of mental health treatment; and (2) the association between wome...

https://apha.confex.com/apha/2020/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/471700

Military veterans with histories of military sexual trauma (MST) are at risk for several negative mental health outcomes and report perceived barriers to treatment engagement. To inform interventions to promote gender-sensitive access to MST-related care, we conducted an exploratory, multiple-group latent class analysis of negative beliefs about MS...

Research Objective Inconsistencies in patient health record data increase bias by marginalizing individuals whose self‐identified race or ethnicity do not map to politically designated categories. A solution to improving measurement of race and ethnicity in patient health records is to use common data models (CDM). CDMs use a standardized language...

Background Psychotherapy is the gold standard treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), yet psychotherapy use and retention among veterans is low. Little is known about the barriers to care and factors associated with women veterans' PTSD psychotherapy use and retention. Using a nationally representative sample of 986 women Veteran's Hea...

Measurement-based care (MBC) refers to the use of three integrated strategies to improve effectiveness of behavioral health care: routine outcomes monitoring using symptom measures; regularly sharing these data with patients; and using these data to inform treatment decisions. This study examined how clinicians discuss MBC data with patients, inclu...

Background Video-based health care can help address access gaps for patients and is rapidly being offered by health care organizations. However, patients who lack access to technology may be left behind in these initiatives. In 2016, the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) began distributing video-enabled tablets to provide video visits to veter...

Objectives: The effect of stress exposures and mental health sequelae on health-related outcomes is understudied among older women veterans. We examined (1) the impact of wartime stress exposures on later-life functioning and disability in Vietnam-era women veterans, and (2) the extent to which mental health conditions known to be associated with...

Background: Engaging patients as partners in their care is clinically appealing, yet challenging to implement, and we lack a measurement framework that is applicable to vulnerable populations. To address this gap, we conducted a qualitative study to refine a conceptual framework that reflects an individual's propensity to engage with care. Object...

Objectives: We analyzed long-term differences in incident diabetes associated with military service in a warzone among women who served during the Vietnam War era. Methods: For HealthViEWS, the largest later-life study of women Vietnam War-era U.S. veterans, a population-based retrospective cohort who served during 1965-1973 completed a health i...

Objective: In 2016, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) began distributing video-enabled tablets to veterans with access barriers. This study evaluated the implementation of this initiative for veterans with mental health conditions, including the impact of tablet receipt on access to and continuity of mental health care, missed opportunities...

Background Video telehealth technology has the potential to enhance access for patients with clinical, social, and geographic barriers to care. We evaluated the implementation of a US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) initiative to distribute tablets to high-need Veterans with access barriers. Methods In this mixed methods implementation study,...

Introduction: Adverse childhood experiences are associated with poor health outcomes in adulthood, such as depression, suicidal behavior, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Subsequent military service may continue trajectories of childhood adversity and contribute to cumulative disadvantage over the life span. This study examines distinct pattern...

Purpose of Review This review highlights recent research on sex- and gender-related factors in the prevalence, symptom expression, and treatment of PTSD. Further discoveries about the underlying mechanisms of sex and gender effects have the potential to shape innovative directions for research. Recent Findings The prevalence of PTSD is substantial...

Objective To describe variation in payer and outcomes in Veterans’ births. Data/Setting Secondary data analyses of deliveries in California, 2000–2012. Study Design We performed a retrospective, population‐based study of all live births to Veterans (confirmed via U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) enrollment records), to identify payer and...

Study objectives: To examine the prevalence of self-reported insomnia symptoms, identify subgroups of female veterans with clinically significant insomnia symptoms, and examine the effect on psychosocial functioning and health care utilization. Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of insomnia symptoms and associated characteristics among a stratifi...

Background: The effects of sexual trauma on long-term health care utilization and costs are not well understood due to infrequent documentation of sexual trauma history in health care systems. The Veteran's Health Administration provides a unique opportunity to address this constraint as sexual trauma is actively screened for as part of routine ca...

Background: Little is known about medical morbidity among women Vietnam-era veterans, or the long-term physical health problems associated with their service. This study assessed agreement comparing data on physical health conditions from self-report and medical records from a population-based cohort of women Vietnam-era Veterans from the Health o...

Purpose: Few wartime experiences scales capture unique issues related to women's service, address their military roles, or have been validated with women. The Women's Wartime Stressor Scale was developed for use with women who served during the Vietnam era, primarily as nurses in Vietnam. We revised this measure by modifying existing items, adding...

Background: Prior work shows that Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) predicts an increased risk of preterm birth, but the causal pathway(s) are uncertain. We evaluate the associations between PTSD and antepartum complications to explore how PTSD's pathophysiology impacts pregnancy. Methods: This retrospective cohort analysis of all Veterans H...

Implementation planning typically incorporates stakeholder input. Quality improvement efforts provide data-based feedback regarding progress. Participatory system dynamics modeling (PSD) triangulates stakeholder expertise, data and simulation of implementation plans prior to attempting change. Frontline staff in one VA outpatient mental health syst...

BACKGROUND Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is associated with increased health care utilization, medical morbidity, and tobacco and alcohol use. Consequently, screening for PTSD has become increasingly common in primary care clinics, especially in Veteran healthcare settings where trauma exposure among patients is common. OBJECTIVE The objecti...

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to identify the prevalence of past-year intimate partner violence (IPV) among women Veterans utilizing Veterans Health Administration (VHA) primary care, and to document associated demographic, military, and primary care characteristics. Design: This was a retrospective cohort design, where participa...

Importance: Military sexual trauma (MST) is associated with adverse physical and mental health outcomes following military separation. Recent research suggests that MST may be a determinant in several factors associated with postdeployment homelessness. Objective: To evaluate MST as an independent risk factor for homelessness and to determine wh...

Background This study examined sociodemographic, physical and mental health, and adult and childhood adverse experiences associated with binge drinking in a representative sample of women in the State of California. Materials and Methods Data were from the 2003 to 2004 (response rates of 72% and 74%, respectively) California Women's Health Survey (...

Background: Little is known about the clinical profile and treatment priorities of women with binge eating disorder (BED), a diagnosis new to the fifth edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. We identified comorbidities and patients' treatment priorities, because these may inform implementation of clinical services. Meth...

Purpose of the Study: To examine differences in all-cause and cause-specific mortality by sexual orientation and Veteran status among older women. Design and Methods: Data were from the Women’s Health Initiative, with demographic characteristics, psychosocial factors, and health behaviors assessed at baseline (1993–1998) and mortality status from...

Introduction: The Veterans Health Administration health system uses a clinical reminder in the medical record to screen for military sexual trauma. For more than 6 million Veterans, this study assessed associations between military sexual trauma screen results and subsequent suicide mortality. Methods: For Veterans who received Veterans Health A...

In light of recent data demonstrating large variability in the diagnosis of cannabis use disorders (CUDs) within the Veterans Affairs Health Care System (VA), it is important to elucidate VA-specific barriers and facilitators to CUD diagnosis and treatment engagement. This issue is particularly salient among veterans with posttraumatic stress disor...

Background: The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) recommends screening female patients for intimate partner violence (IPV), yet few studies inform IPV screening efforts among this population. This study examined the proportion of women who experienced IPV within the past year and the associations between IPV and depression, post-traumatic stres...

Importance Many Vietnam-era women veterans served in or near war zones and may have experienced stressful or traumatic events during their service. Although posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is well studied among men who served in Vietnam, no major epidemiologic investigation of PTSD among women has been performed.Objectives To assess (1) the...

Background: The Veterans Health Administration (VA) Women's Health Practice-Based Research Network (WH-PBRN) was created to foster innovations for the health care of women veterans. The inaugural study by the WH-PBRN was designed to identify women veterans' own priorities and preferences for mental health services and to inform refinements to WH-P...

Background: Though a growing number of U.S. Veterans are being diagnosed with cannabis use disorders, with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) observed as the most frequently co-occurring psychiatric disorder among this population, no research has investigated the impact of PTSD diagnosis on cannabis quit success. Objectives: The present study so...

Military sexual trauma (MST) includes sexual harassment or sexual assault that occurs during military service and is of increasing public health concern. The population prevalence of MST among female and male veterans who served during Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) has not been estimated to our knowledge. The purpose of th...

We utilized a nationally representative survey of women veteran primary care users to examine associations between patient activation and mental health care experiences. A dose-response relationship was observed, with odds of high quality ratings significantly greater at each successive level of patient activation. Higher activation levels were als...

Patient-centered access to mental health describes the fit between patient needs and resources of the system. To date, little data are available to guide implementation of services to women veterans, an underrepresented minority within Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) health care. The current study examines access to mental health care among wome...

Mental health services for women vary widely across the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) system, without consensus on the need for, or organization of, specialized services for women. Understanding women's needs and priorities is essential to guide the implementation of patient-centered behavioral health services. In a cross-sectional, multisit...

The 4-item Hurt/Insult/Threaten/Scream (HITS) tool accurately detects past-year intimate partner violence (IPV) among female Veterans Health Administration (VHA) patients; however, it lacks a sexual IPV item. This study evaluated the accuracy of an extended HITS (E-HITS), which adds a sexual IPV item, in female VHA patients. A sample of 80 female U...

To evaluate the association between antenatal posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and spontaneous preterm delivery. We identified antenatal PTSD status and spontaneous preterm delivery in a retrospective cohort of 16,334 deliveries covered by the Veterans Health Administration from 2000 to 2012. We divided mothers with PTSD into those with diagnos...

We longitudinally investigated coping among male military veterans (n = 98) with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptomatology and a co-occurring substance use disorder (SUD) who participated in a randomized controlled trial of Seeking Safety (SS). Participants were randomized to SS or intensive treatment-as-usual (TAU) for SUD. Coping (activ...

The primary goal of this pilot study was to investigate potential barriers to accessing military sexual trauma (MST)–related care for female veterans within the Veterans Administration (VA) health care system. Secondary goals were to explore whether female veterans have preferences regarding the gender of clinicians who provide MST-related care and...

The concordance of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) clinician judgment of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) history with American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM)-based criteria was examined for Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) Veterans. In order to understand inconsistencies in agreement, we also exa...

No prior research has examined men's opinions or preferences regarding receiving health education materials related to sexual violence. The objective of the current study was to investigate whether male veteran patients who have experienced military sexual trauma (MST) prefer gender-targeted versus gender-neutral printed health information and whet...

The World Health Organization (WHO) Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) module is widely used in epidemiological studies of PTSD, yet relatively few data attest to the instrument's diagnostic utility. The current study evaluated the diagnostic utility of the CIDI 3.0 PTSD module with U. S. women...

We conducted a retrospective study among 4,734 women who served in the US military in Vietnam (Vietnam cohort), 2,062 women who served in countries near Vietnam (near-Vietnam cohort), and 5,313 nondeployed US military women (US cohort) to evaluate the associations of mortality outcomes with Vietnam War service. Veterans were identified from militar...

Female Veterans are at high risk for physical, sexual, and psychological forms of intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization. This study evaluated the accuracy of a brief IPV victimization screening tool for use with female Veterans Health Administration (VHA) patients. Participants completed a paper-and-pencil mail survey that included the four...

Military sexual trauma (MST) is the Veteran Health Administration's (VHA) term for sexual assault and/or sexual harassment that occurs during military service. The experience of MST is associated with a variety of mental health conditions. Preliminary research suggests that MST may be associated with homelessness among female Veterans, although to...

Many lesbian and bisexual (LB) women veterans may have been targets of victimization in the military based on their gender and presumed sexual orientation, and yet little is known regarding the health or mental health of LB veterans, nor the degree to which they feel comfortable receiving care in the VA. The purpose of this study was to examine the...

Background: VHA screens for traumatic brain injury (TBI) among patients formerly deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq, referring those who screen positive for a Comprehensive TBI Evaluation (CTBIE). Methods: To assess the programme, rates were calculated of positive screens for potential TBI in the population of patients screened in VHA between Octob...

This book surveys critical aspects of modern military health care in the US and various other Western countries with troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. This book covers health care issues prior to deployment, such as screening for mental health, evaluating long-term consequences of exposure to military service, and provision of insurance; care during...

This study evaluated the prevalence and types of criminal arrest among 99,512 male veterans in substance use disorder (SUD) treatment across 150 VA facilities from 1998 to 2001. Participants were assessed with the Addiction Severity Index (ASI), which includes detailed information about lifetime criminal activity. A majority of the patients (58.2%)...

Research suggests that there may be unique barriers to accessing care among men who have experienced sexual trauma. The primary goal of the current research was to elucidate potential barriers to accessing military sexual trauma (MST)-related care for male veterans. A secondary goal was to explore whether veterans have preferences regarding the gen...

Evidence suggests that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorders (SUD) are associated with poorer physical health among U.S. veterans who served in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF). No research of which we are aware has examined the independent and interactive effects of PTSD and SUD on medical...

Little research has examined factors associated with the utilization of outpatient health care services related to sexual assault experiences. The Veterans Health Administration provides free outpatient treatment services to veterans who report military sexual trauma (MST); this system provides a unique opportunity to examine factors related to the...

ABSTRACT. This cross-sectional study examined the odds of being diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection (STI) or a sexual dysfunction disorder (SDD) among Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) American veterans receiving care in the Veterans’ Health Administration (VHA) in relation to whether or not they have experien...

This exploratory study investigated organizational factors associated with receipt of military sexual trauma (MST) screening during an early timeframe of the Veterans Health Administration's (VHA) implementation of the universal MST screening policy. The sample consisted of all VHA patients eligible for MST screening in fiscal year 2005 at 119 VHA...

Survey and medical record data from 482 Veterans Affairs (VA) patients who recently received diagnoses of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were examined to determine need and predisposing factors associated with utilization of psychotherapy and counseling. More than half (58%) of participants initiated VA psychotherapy for PTSD within a year of...

To determine whether substituting Seeking Safety (SS), a manualized therapy for comorbid substance use disorders (SUD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for part of treatment-as-usual (TAU) improves substance use outcomes. Randomized controlled effectiveness trial. Out-patient Veterans Administration Health Care System SUD clinic. Ninety-ei...