Date of Conferral

2023

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Health Education and Promotion

Advisor

Erica Butler

Abstract

Many women veterans who navigate the Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system across the United States have felt that their voices have not been heard regarding their input and lived experiences concerning inclusion to the quality-of-care delivery for their health needs. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of women veterans who were currently facing or had previously faced difficulty navigating the VA healthcare system. The framework used for this qualitative study was interpretive phenomenological analysis. The qualitative method used was hermeneutics which was designed by Edmund Husserl and Martin Heidegger. Semi structured interviews were of 12 women through the Zoom platform, who met the sampling criteria as a veteran and receiving services from the VA within the Washington DC area. The data was analyzed using the thematic method which emerged 10 themes addressed the study research questions. The participants reported there were biases towards women when receiving care, lack gender-based services, lack of appointment times and decline in overall health from interactions with the VA medical staff. The study findings further revealed that there are still gaps in health treatment and resources in connecting women veterans to proper healthcare within the VA healthcare system. The findings may assist the VA leadership in aligning patient-centered practices with appropriate quality care for women using proper needs assessments, medical staff empathy, and communication to provide better standards of care and equity for all veterans, especially women veterans.

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