Enhancing Mental and Physical Health of Women Through Engagement and Retention (EMPOWER) 3.0 (QUE 25-015)
VA Office of Research and Development
Summary
Women Veterans are the fastest growing segment of VA users, with most users in midlife. This dramatic growth has created challenges for VA to ensure that appropriate services are available to meet women Veterans' needs, and that they will want and be able to use those services. Furthermore, few VA improvement efforts have focused on women Veterans' health and health care in midlife. The EMPOWER QUERI 3.0 Program is a cluster randomized type 3 hybrid implementation-effectiveness trial testing two strategies designed to support implementation and sustainment of evidence-based practices for women Veterans in at least 18 VA facilities from 4 regions.
Description
Women Veterans are the fastest growing group of Veterans Health Administration (VA) users. Of the 528,424 women Veterans who used VA care in FY19, nearly half were in midlife (aged 45-64). A growing number of studies identify gaps in health care for women Veterans in this life stage, during which menopause typically occurs, 49% of women Veterans meet criteria for obesity, and the risk of chronic disease increases dramatically. Furthermore, women Veterans have a high burden of trauma and physical and mental health comorbidities, which may exacerbate menopause symptoms and chronic disease risk a…