HSR’s Durham Evidence Synthesis Program Presents Women Veterans’ Health Literature Evidence Map Results to White House Council

Research News

September 24, 2024

HSR's Durham, NC-based Evidence Synthesis Program (ESP) recently presented the results of the Women Veterans' Health Literature evidence mapping project (2016-2023) to the White House Gender Policy Council. Audience attendees included Gender Policy Council Director for Health Policy Suhasini Ravi and Gender Policy Council Deputy Director Katie Keith.

The Durham ESP's Karen Goldstein, MD, MSPH, gave an overview of the project, which mapped 933 women Veterans' health articles published since the beginning of 2016. ESP team members Jennifer Gierisch, PhD; Rachel Pace, MD; Adelaide Gordon, MPH; and Morgan Faircloth were also at the meeting.

Dr. Goldstein outlined the project's findings, which indicated that the number of published articles on women Veterans' health had more than doubled compared to the prior 2008-2015 map. The articles focused most often on mental health, chronic medical conditions, and interpersonal violence. Areas of greatest growth since the 2008-2015 map included reproductive mental health, chronic pain/opioid use, and suicide and non-suicidal self-injury. Emerging areas of new literature included military-related toxic exposures, harassment in the healthcare setting, and healthcare for transgender and gender nonbinary Veterans. The mapping review also identified gaps in the literature that warrant further investigation, including long-term care and aging, cancer care, and menopause. Dr. Goldstein noted that the majority of this literature continues to be observational in design, but there has been a small increase in studies testing and evaluating solutions to health problems experienced by women Veterans, most often related to mental health diagnoses.