Using GIS to Examine Physician Practice Patterns in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System: Examples of Two Cancer Procedures

Author: Diane C. Cowper
Organization: Department of Veterans Affairs

Hines VA Hospital
5th and Roosevelt Roads
Hines, IL 60141
USA

Phone: 708-202-2413
Fax: 708-202-2415
cowper@research.hines.med.va.gov

The VA maintains the largest health care system under a single management structure in the United States. In a recent NEJM article, Ashton and colleagues found substantial geographic variation in hospital use for eight cohorts of VA patients. Building on this finding as a foundation, this paper examines the geographic variation in utilization rates for two specific procedures performed in the VA: radical prostatectomy and mastectomy. Using geographic information system software, we examine the geographic variation within the VA in different areas of the country and also compare VA and non-VA rates for these procedures.