Table 1.
Four-Step Action Plan Toward a VA Women's Health Research Agenda
| Action Plan | Approach | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Step #1: Critically appraise the VA research portfolio | Obtain and review history of funding among VA researchers | Conducted portfolio analysis of VA women's health research funding |
| Analyze data by types of funding (e.g., VA, other federal, private, foundation) | ||
| Analyze data by research area (e.g., aging, mental health, reproductive health) | Established methods for ongoing monitoring of VA women's health research portfolio | |
| Step #2: Obtain systematic information about the health and health care of women veterans to provide an evidence base for the research agenda | Conduct gender-specific analyses of an array of VA secondary data | Obtained analyses from 15+ centers in support of agenda-setting process |
| Conduct a systematic women veterans' literature review | Completed a systematic literature review | |
| Developed a web-based bibliography | ||
| Step #3: Based upon gaps between the current VA research portfolio (Step #1) and the assessment of the evidence base (Step #2), identify strategic priorities for the VA women's health research agenda | Adapt priority-setting strategies used by other agencies (e.g., NIH Office of Research on Women's Health, AHRQ) | Created a compendium of women's health research initiatives |
| Review VA strategic plans (e.g., Women Veterans Health Program, Advisory Committee for Women Veterans) | Conducted the first national VA women's health agenda-setting conference (Nov 2004) | |
| Conduct gap analysis, priority-setting, and consensus development in an agenda-setting conference | Disseminated web-based products from all steps | |
| Step #4: Foster the conduct of VA women's health research | Build research capacity through improved collaboration, networking, and mentoring | Created a VA women's health research website* |
| Solve methodologic challenges (e.g., small sample sizes) | Created a Listserv for use by VA women's health researchers | |
| Increase awareness and visibility of VA women's health research | Develop web- and cyber-based educational modules on key methodologic issues |
*
VA women's health research website (http://www.va.gov/resdev/programs/womens_health/) contains background information on women veterans, summaries, and online presentations from the VA women's health research conference, and other useful announcements and links.