Feasibility and Benefits of eScreening for Veterans in Community Mental Health Care
A recent study published in BMC Health Services Research highlights the potential of electronic screening (eScreening) to improve the quality and coordination of mental health care for veterans receiving treatment through the Veterans Affairs (VA) Community Care Program (CCP).
With an increasing number of veterans utilizing VA-funded care at non-VA facilities, ensuring continuity and effectiveness in mental health services remains a challenge. Communication gaps between CCP providers and VA clinicians can lead to fragmented care, which may negatively impact patient outcomes. This study explored the feasibility and acceptability of eScreening as a tool to bridge this gap by remotely monitoring symptoms, tracking patient-reported outcomes (PROs), and facilitating clinically driven communication between VA and CCP providers.
The study included 150 veterans referred for mental health treatment in CCP settings, primarily for conditions such as major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and adjustment disorders. Participants were asked to complete an initial web-based eScreening assessment followed by 3 additional assessments spaced 4 to 6 weeks apart. These assessments measured PTSD and depression symptoms, health-related quality of life, treatment attendance, and satisfaction with the eScreening platform. Additionally, qualitative interviews with both veterans and CCP providers provided insights into the user experience and potential impact of eScreening on care coordination.
Findings from the study demonstrated that eScreening is both feasible and well-received. Among the Veterans who provided feedback, 89% reported no technical difficulties, 78% felt comfortable entering personal information, and 83% found the system easy to use. Veterans valued the ability to complete assessments at their convenience, the security of the system, and the reassurance that their symptoms were being actively monitored. Many expressed that knowing someone was reviewing their responses provided a sense of being heard and supported in their treatment. Providers also viewed eScreening favorably, noting that it improved communication and collaboration between VA and CCP clinicians. They found that receiving symptom data helped them better understand their patients’ progress and make more informed treatment decisions.
Despite these positive outcomes, challenges remain. Some veterans raised concerns about the clarity and relevance of certain screening questions and suggested improvements to response options. Additionally, while eScreening enabled VA clinicians to flag concerning symptom changes and initiate follow-ups, CCP providers did not have direct access to PRO data. Instead, VA clinicians had to manually communicate findings, highlighting a need for a more streamlined system that ensures real-time information sharing.
“eScreening is a promising tool to maximize VA’s ability to enhance communication and potentially coordination of care with CCP providers.” The researchers concluded. “Future research is needed to evaluate the impact of using technology such as eScreening to facilitate measurement-based care coordination of Veterans accessing mental health treatment in the community.”
Reference
Almklov E, Lee MW, Gault JD, et al. Mixed method study of feasibility and acceptability of electronic screening for measurement-based symptom monitoring of veterans accessing mental health treatment in VA community care program settings. BMC Health Serv Res. 2025;25(1):10. doi:10.1186/s12913-024-12029-1
