Workshop Summary, Assessing Quality of VA Out-of-Network Care 

To better inform veterans seeking healthcare services and to better manage those services, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) partnered with the National Quality Forum (NQF) to convene a multi-stakeholder group. More than 30 individuals representing a broad spectrum of interested entities, including federal and nonfederal health providers, purchasers, health plans, and other entities accountable for the care of a defined population, met in June 2011 to develop a conceptual approach for assessing the quality of VA out-of-network care. This report summarizes the discussion at the workshop and offers the beginnings of a framework and corresponding suggestions for next steps.