Research Review: "United States Army Reserve/National Guard soldiers’ healthcare experiences, attitudes, and preferences: Differences based on deployment status"

This research review highlights findings from a recent study aimed at better understanding health care preferences of National Guard and Reserves service members. The authors found that found that among 430 USAR/NG service members, the overwhelming majority (83%) reported that their community/private provider has never asked how their military service impacts their health despite 39% of participants indicating that their current health concerns are related to their military service. Additionally, there is no difference between USAR/NG servicemembers who were previously deployed overseas and those who were not in their perception of whether community/private providers can address their military-related health concerns. USAR/NG service members do not have the same eligibility criteria for VA health benefits as service members from active components, often making community/private providers their only source of health care. These findings underscore the importance of community/private providers asking service members about their previous deployment experiences and how their military service may be impacting their health.