Mindfulness and the Veteran: Increasing Veteran Participation in Mindfulness Programs at a VA Medical Center

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) supports the use of mindfulness-based therapies for the medical and mental health treatment of veterans. The Wilmington, Delaware VA Medical Center (VAMC) offers mindfulness-based programs in guided imagery, tai chi and mindful meditation; however, the veterans who receive primary care services do not participate in these programs to their full potential. The purpose of this quality improvement (QI) project was to increase veteran participation in the mindfulness-based programs at the Wilmington VAMC. Based on a retrospective chart review of veterans’ electronic medical records (EMR), mindfulness-based program referral and enrollment patterns were analyzed, and recommendations produced to increase primary care referrals and veteran participation in mindfulness-based programs. The findings of this QI project confirmed the low participation of veterans, identified characteristics of both veterans who participated in mindfulness-based programs and the primary care providers who wrote referrals, and identified the limitations to veteran participation in mindfulness-based programs. Recommendations were made to provide education to primary care providers and veterans on the medical and mental health benefits of mindfulness, change mindfulness-based staff hiring practices, and provide alternative scheduling of the mindfulness-based programs. This study adds to the available body of knowledge and evidence supporting the use of mindfulness practices among military veterans