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Medical AI Inquiry: You was designed to assist in medical decision-making based on the provided user questions. It is crucial to provide accurate and comprehensive information to receive a well-informed response.  Labels: BACKGROUND, OBJECTIVE, METHODS, METHODS, METHODS, RESULTS. Meshes: Adult, Ethnic Groups, Female, Humans, Length of Stay, Middle Aged, Outpatient Clinics, Hospital, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Surgical Procedures, Operative, United States, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Women's Health.
user
Is posttraumatic stress disorder screening status associated with increased VA medical and surgical utilization in women? Context: Women with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) report poor health, but associations with health care utilization are understudied. To determine associations between medical/surgical utilization and PTSD in female Veterans Affairs (VA) patients. Prospective comparison of utilization rates between women screening positive or negative for PTSD on a mailed survey. Women receiving care at an urban VA medical center between October 1996 and January 2000. Survey responses, including a validated screen for PTSD (PCL-C), and VA utilization data through September 2002. Two thousand five hundred and seventy-eight (2,578) women (78% of those eligible) completed the PCL-C; 858 (33%) of them screened positive for PTSD (PTSD+). In unadjusted models, PTSD+ women had higher rates of medical/surgical hospitalizations and surgical inpatient procedures. Among women ages 35 to 49, mean days hospitalized/100 patients/year was 43.4 (95% CI 26 to 61) for PTSD+ women versus 17.0 (16 to 18) for PTSD negative (PTSD-) women. More PTSD+ women underwent surgical procedures (P<.001). Mean annual outpatient visits were significantly higher among PTSD+ women, including: emergency department (ED) (1.1 [1.0 to 1.2] vs 0.6 [0.5 to 0.6]), primary care (3.2 [3.0 to 3.4] vs 2.2 [2.1 to 2.3]), medical/surgical subspecialists (2.1 [1.9 to 2.3] vs 1.5 [1.4 to 1.6]), ancillary services (4.1 [3.7 to 4.5] vs 2.4 [2.2 to 2.6]), and diagnostic tests (5.6 [5.1 to 6.1] vs 3.7 [3.4 to 4.0]). In multivariate models adjusted for demographics, smoking, service access, and medical comorbidities, PTSD+ women had greater likelihood of medical/surgical hospitalization (OR=1.37 [1.04 to 1.79]) and of being among the top quartile of patients for visits to the ED, primary care, ancillary services, and diagnostic testing.
assistant
Female veterans who screen PTSD+ receive more VA medical/surgical services. Appropriateness of that care deserves further study. Final Decision: yes