# CompreHEnsive ViRtual Care for WOmen VEteranS (HEROES)

> **NIH VA I01** · DURHAM VA MEDICAL CENTER · 2024 · —

## Abstract

Background: Women’s health care within the VA is at a pivotal juncture. By 2040, the proportion of Veterans
who are women is expected to nearly double, from 9% (2018) to 17%. Distinct from men, women Veterans
(WV) are more racially and ethnically diverse, younger, and more likely to be single heads of households; all of
which have implications for health care engagement. The shift in age portends increasing women-specific
preventive and reproductive health care needs and a growing burden of chronic illnesses. Significance: These
shifts in the WV population require the VHA to innovate and adapt to continue to meet WV health care needs.
Virtual care will be a part of ongoing health care service changes and innovations, and has shown specific
potential for WV. However, we do not know how and when to deploy virtual care to optimize patient
engagement and clinical outcomes for WV. Addressing key areas of uncertainty in virtual VHA care
deployment for women could accelerate strategic utilization and successful implementation of virtual care for
WV, thereby improving patient satisfaction, quality of care, and health outcomes. This project addresses the
legislative priorities of the Deborah Sampson Act (H.R.2452); HSRD priorities of women's health, Virtual Care,
health equity; and ORD priorities of promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as leveraging VA
research for real-world impact. Innovation and Impact: Our proposal has four key areas of scientific
innovation, including: 1) advancing comprehensive, women’s care delivery by completing the first synthesis of
qualitative literature around women’s experiences with virtual care; 2) addressing key information gaps
identified by a recent VHA virtual care multi-stakeholder think tank; 3) advancing the science of qualitative
evidence synthesis through innovative incorporation of stakeholder input; and 4) bridging a methodologic gap
for translating implementation strategies into real-world actions. Specific Aims: 1) To identify barriers and
facilitators to the adoption and sustainability of appropriate virtual care delivered within comprehensive WHCs;
2) To develop an implementation blueprint for how and when to optimize adoption and sustainability of
appropriate virtual care in the context of VA comprehensive women’s health care; and 3) To explore the impact
of the novel implementation blueprint on use of appropriate virtual care in comprehensive WHCs using a mixed
methods field test design. Methodology: For Aim 1, we will review the qualitative peer-reviewed literature on
women’s experiences with virtual care, as well as collect primary qualitative data from marginalized women
Veteran populations (eg., Black WV, rural women) and their care providers to fill gaps in existing literature and
explore the specific VA context of synchronous virtual care for WV. For Aim 2, we will map barriers and
facilitators to relevant strategies and outcomes for implementation, and engage key multi-level stakeholde...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10658845
- **Project number:** 5I01HX003549-02
- **Recipient organization:** DURHAM VA MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Jennifer Marie Gierisch
- **Activity code:** I01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-08-01 → 2026-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10658845

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10658845, CompreHEnsive ViRtual Care for WOmen VEteranS (HEROES) (5I01HX003549-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10658845. Licensed CC0.

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