RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Variation in health service use by veterans with an accepted disability of post-traumatic stress disorder who had a service record post 1975: a cluster analysis JF BMJ Military Health JO BMJ Mil Health FD British Medical Journal Publishing Group SP e001456 DO 10.1136/bmjmilitary-2020-001456 A1 Elizabeth Ellen Roughead A1 E N Ramsay A1 L M Kalisch Ellett A1 A Khoo A1 A Moffatt A1 N L Pratt YR 2021 UL http://militaryhealth.bmj.com/content/early/2021/02/05/bmjmilitary-2020-001456.abstract AB Background The use of health services is likely to vary among veterans with an accepted disability of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), however, the extent of variation is not known. We aimed to determine the extent and type of health services used by veterans with an accepted disability of PTSD.Methods The cohort included veterans who served post 1975, were eligible for all Australian Government Department of Veterans’ Affairs funded health services, had PTSD as an accepted disability prior to July 2015 and were alive at the 30 June 2016. Veterans were assigned to groups based on their use of health services using K-means cluster analysis.Results The cohort comprised five clusters involving 2286 veterans. The largest cluster (43%) were a younger, general practitioner (GP) managed cluster who saw their GP quarterly and the psychiatrist twice a year. The second GP cluster (30%) had higher levels of physical comorbidity. The psychiatrist managed cluster (14%) had a mean of 12 psychiatrist visits and one PTSD hospitalisation in the year. The remaining two clusters involved GP and allied healthcare, but no psychologist care. High levels of antidepressant use occurred in all clusters, ranging from 44% up to 69%. The psychiatrist managed cluster had 47% on antipsychotics and 58% on anxiolytics.Conclusion Our study highlights the heterogeneity in health service use. These results identify the significant health utilisation required for up to one-sixth of veterans with PTSD and the significant role of primary care physicians in supporting veterans with PTSD.