http://www.feedburner.comInstitute of Medicine RSS feed for the following topic: Veterans Health In 1979, the US Congress directed that epidemiologic study be conducted to evaluate the frequency and nature of adverse health effects that might be related to exposure to “Agent Orange” and other military herbicide used during the Vietnam Conflict. The effort—formally called the Air Force Health Study (AFHS) and informally refered to as the Ranch Hand Study—involved Operation Ranch Hand veterans and a comparison group of Air Force personnel who served in southeast Asia but who were not involved in herbicide spraying operations. </p><p> After the Study concluded, the Congress directed that its research assets be transferred to the custodianship of the Institute of Medicine (IOM). A later Public Law (110-389) instructed the Department of Veterans’ Affairs to work with the IOM to make the AFHS assets available to scientific investigators for scientifically peer reviewed pilot and other research studies.http://www.iom.edu/Activities/Veterans/AirForceHealthStudyResearchAssets.aspx5/12/2015Burn Pit Registry Workshop - May 1, 2015http://www.iom.edu/Activities/Veterans/VABurnPitRegistry/BurnPitRegistryWorkshop.aspx5/4/2015Longitudinal prospective studies that follow a population for an extended period (a decade or more) are the gold standard of observational epidemiologic studies, but they are uncommon due to great expense and time needed to conduct them. Even rarer are well-designed cohort studies that include the collection and storage of biospecimens for use in current and future analyses, such as the Air Force Health Study (AFHS). The AFHS is prospective epidemiologic study followed a cohort of 2,700 men for approximately 20 years.http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2015/Air-Force-Health-Study.aspx4/21/2015Public Briefing for the release of “The Air Force Health Study Assets Research Program” reporthttp://www.iom.edu/Activities/Veterans/AirForceHealthStudyResearchAssets/2015-APR-17.aspx3/31/2015U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune covers about 156,000 acres in eastern North Carolina, and at any given time is home to about 170,000 active-duty personnel, family members, retirees, and civilian employees who live on base or in the surrounding community. Between 1957 and 1987, the groundwater at Camp Lejeune was inadvertently contaminated with chemicals, primarily industrial solvents. Many of these chemicals were later found to cause cancer and other health problems, although not all of them were recognized as toxic at the time of contamination.http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2015/VA-Clinical-Guidance.aspx3/11/2015An IOM committee will comprehensively assess the quality, capacity, and access to mental health care services for veterans who served in the Armed Forces in Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, or Operation New Dawn (OEF/OIF/OND). The IOM committee will assess the spectrum of mental health services available across the entire US Department of Veterans Affairs.http://www.iom.edu/Activities/Veterans/VAMentalHealthServices.aspx3/2/2015The Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA’s) Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry is a database of information about Veterans and Servicemembers. The registry questionnaire is designed to allow current and former members of the military who served during the 1990-1 Gulf War and in operations in Iraq and Afghanistan to report exposures to airborne hazards (such as smoke from burn pits, oil-well fires, or pollution during deployment), as well as other exposures and health concerns. http://www.iom.edu/Activities/Veterans/VABurnPitRegistry.aspx2/26/2015Please RSVP to this event by emailing Joe Goodman at jgoodman@nas.edu.http://www.iom.edu/Activities/Veterans/VAMentalHealthServices/2013-NOV-22.aspx2/25/2015The Institute of Medicine (IOM) announces a public meeting for a candid discussion about health effects in veterans associated with the herbicides sprayed during the Vietnam War. The report from this committee will be provided to the Department of Veterans Affairs to help advise officials on policy decisions regarding compensation to veterans for service-related illnesses. http://www.iom.edu/Activities/Veterans/HealthEffectsVietnamVeteransHerbicides/2015-MAR-09.aspx2/24/2015The fifth and final meeting of the Committee to Review the Health Effects in Vietnam Veterans of Exposure to Herbicides (Ninth Biennial Update).http://www.iom.edu/Activities/Veterans/AgentOrangeNinthUpdate/2013-MAR-19.aspx2/19/2015After the 1990-1991 Gulf War, many veterans had concerns about the health effects that might result from their exposures and experiences while deployed. This report is the last in a series of 10 congressionally mandated studies to assess the epidemiologic literature on the health effects associated with deployment to the Gulf War in 1990-1991.http://www.iom.edu/Activities/Veterans/GulfWarandHealth10.aspx2/11/2015The scope and methodology of this project are defined in the underlying statute that require VA to contract with the NAS to evaluate the literature on health effects from exposure to herbicides used during the Vietnam War. Public Law 102-4, The Agent Orange Act of 1991, extended by Public Law 107-103, direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to contract with the NAS to conduct a comprehensive review of scientific and medical literature on health effects from exposure to Agent Orange, and to conduct biennial updates.http://www.iom.edu/Activities/Veterans/HealthEffectsVietnamVeteransHerbicides.aspx2/11/2015The Committee on Optimizing Scheduling in Health Care will conduct a study and prepare a report directed at exploring appropriate access standards for the triage and scheduling of health care services for ambulatory and rehabilitative care settings to best match the acuity and nature of patient conditions. http://www.iom.edu/Activities/HealthServices/OptimizingScheduling.aspx1/22/2015A workshop will be convened by the Committee on Optimizing Scheduling in Health Care to explore appropriate access standards for the triage and scheduling of health care services for ambulatory and rehabilitative care settings, to best match the acuity and nature of patient conditions. http://www.iom.edu/Activities/HealthServices/OptimizingScheduling/2014-NOV-21.aspx1/22/2015The VA asked the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to evaluate whether service in ORH C-123s could have exposed AF Reservists to herbicide residues at levels harmful to their health. In Post-Vietnam Dioxin Exposure in Agent Orange–Contaminated C-123 Aircraft, an expert IOM committee performs a qualitative assessment based on the science and evidence available. http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2015/Post-Vietnam-Dioxin-Exposure-in-Agent-Orange-Contaminated-C-123-Aircraft.aspx1/12/2015Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the signature injuries of the U.S. conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. An estimated 8 percent of current and former service members deployed to these areas have a PTSD diagnosis. For these men and women, readjustment from combat zone deployments and reintegra¬tion into families and communities may be significantly hampered by chronic distress and disability in physical, psychological, social, and occupational functioning. A provision of the National Defense Authorization Act for 2010 required the Secretary of the Department of Defense (DoD), in consultation with the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), to commission an IOM study to assess PTSD treatment programs and ser¬vices in DoD and VA. The IOM report offers recommendations and guidance for improv¬ing processes and infrastructure to allow DoD and VA to respond more strategically and effectively to the increasing prevalence of PTSD among U.S. service members and veterans.http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2014/Treatment-for-Posttraumatic-Stress-Disorder-in-Military-and-Veteran-Populations-Final-Assessment.aspx12/18/2014The Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute (AFRRI) is a Department of Defense (DoD) support agency established in 1961. AFRRI is focused on the prevention, assessment, and treatment of injuries from ionizing radiation exposure through research to better understand health effects. The institute also provides education to inform medical and emergency response to radiation exposure incidents. There is no other DoD-level organization with such a comprehensive and broad-scoped mission in radiological health and protection. The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, AFRRI’s parent organization, asked the IOM to summarize the state of scientific research about the health effects of exposure to low-dose ionizing radiation exposure, examine workforce projections and needs, and identify opportunities for AFRRI to contribute to the field. http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2014/Research-on-Health-Effects-of-Low-Level-Ionizing-Radiation-Exposure.aspx12/18/2014More than a decade of war in Iraq and Afghanistan has placed extraordinary demands on service members and their families, and many veterans have returned from the field with significant psychological impairments. Between 2000 and 2011, almost 1 million service members or former service members were diagnosed with at least 1 psychological disorder either during or after deployment; almost half of these members had multiple disorders. These conditions can hamper veterans’ ability to reconnect with family, find work, and live healthy and productive lives. This IOM report assesses the evidence base for DOD’s existing prevention programs and makes recommendations about program development and implementation.http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2014/Preventing-Psychological-Disorders-in-Service-Members-and-Their-Families.aspx12/18/2014The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are known for the enemy’s reliance on improvised explosive devices (IEDs). It’s estimated that explosive weaponry accounts for 75 percent of all US military casualties. Since 2001, thousands of US soldiers have been killed or wounded in action because of IEDs. Concerned about the long-term health effects of exposure to blast, the Department of Veterans Affairs asked the IOM to assess the relevant scientific information and to draw conclusions regarding the strength of the evidence of an association between exposure to blast and health effects. The IOM’s report makes recommendations for future research on the topic.http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2014/Gulf-War-and-Health-Volume-9-Long-Term-Effects-of-Blast-Exposures.aspx12/18/2014Following the 1990-1991 conflict in the Persian Gulf, many Gulf War veterans have experienced various unexplained symptoms that many associate with service in the gulf region, although no specific exposure has been definitely associated with symptoms. The Department of Veterans Affairs asked the IOM to develop a case definition for this chronic multisyptom illness (CMI) as it pertains to the 1990-1991 Gulf War Veteran population. The IOM committee comprehensively reviewed, evaluated, and summarized the available scientific and medical literature regarding symptoms for CMI among the Gulf War Veterans. Additionally, the committee evaluated the terminology currently used in referring to CMI and provides a recommendation for appropriate usage.http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2014/Chronic-Multisymptom-Illness-in-Gulf-War-Veterans-Case-Definitions-Reexamined.aspx12/18/2014The objective of this study was to evaluate and recommend improvements to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Federal Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Program. http://www.iom.edu/Activities/Workforce/traumaticbraininjury.aspx12/1/2014The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have been the longest sustained U.S. military operations since the Vietnam era, sending more than 2.2 million troops into battle, and resulting in more than 6,600 deaths and 48,000 injuries. While many service members return home relatively unscathed and report rewarding experiences, others return with varied complex health conditions and find that readjusting to life at home, reconnecting with family, finding work, or returning to school is an ongoing struggle. The IOM was asked to study veterans’ physical and mental health, as well as other readjustment needs. Following its phase one report, this report presents the IOM’s comprehensive assessment of the physical, psychological, social, and economic effects of deployment on service members, veterans, their families, and their communities. http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2013/Returning-Home-from-Iraq-and-Afghanistan.aspx11/6/2014This committee will determine whether there is an excess risk of adverse health among crew members who, after the Vietnam War ended in 1975, flew and/or maintained C-123 aircraft that had been used to spray Agent Orange in Vietnam.http://www.iom.edu/Activities/Veterans/HealthEffectsC123Aircraft.aspx9/16/2014This committee has been asked to review the clinical guidance developed by the Department of Veterans Affairs for several medical conditions associated with exposure to contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The guidance is intended to assist clinicians in determining whether the Camp Lejeune participant has one or more of the covered conditions, whether the condition may have occurred for another reason, and whether any treatments are related to the covered condition.http://www.iom.edu/Activities/Veterans/CampLejeuneClinicalGuidance.aspx7/14/2014The IOM will convene a committee to comprehensively review, evaluate, and summarize the available scientific and medical literature regarding the best treatments for chronic multisymptom illness among Gulf War Veterans. http://www.iom.edu/Activities/Veterans/GulfWarMultisymptom.aspx7/1/2014It has been estimated that explosive weaponry accounts for 75% of all US military casualties. This number only reflects those killed or wounded in action and does not account for those exposed to blast in the combat environment who do not require immediate medical attention.http://www.iom.edu/Activities/Veterans/GulfWarBlastExposures.aspx7/1/2014An estimated 13 to 20 percent of United States service members who have fought in Iraq or Afghanistan since 2001 suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), brought on by a specific traumatic event, including combat. As the U.S. reduces its military involvement in the Middle East, the Departments of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) anticipate that increasing numbers of returning veterans will need PTSD services. As a result, Congress asked the DoD, in consultation with the VA, to sponsor an IOM study to assess both departments’ PTSD treatment programs and services. This first of two mandated reports examines the some of the available prevention, screening, diagnostic, treatment, and rehabilitation programs and encourages further research that can help to improve PTSD care.http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2012/Treatment-for-Posttraumatic-Stress-Disorder-in-Military-and-Veteran-Populations-Initial-Assessment.aspx6/19/2014The purpose of this meeting is to obtain information on VA programs related to mental health services and to get input from Veterans Service Organizations and from Veterans and their families. There will be an open comment period during which members of the public can address the committee. Please limit your remarks to 5 minutes. If you plan to address the committee, please email Jonathan Schmelzer (jschmelzer@nas.edu) to let us know.http://www.iom.edu/Activities/Veterans/VAMentalHealthServices/2014-JUN-05.aspx6/5/2014An IOM committee will develop case definition for chronic multisymptom illness (CMI) as it pertains to the 1990-91 Gulf War Veteran population. The committee will comprehensively review, evaluate, and summarize the available scientific and medical literature regarding symptoms for CMI among the 1991 Gulf War Veterans. http://www.iom.edu/Activities/Veterans/CMIcasedefinition.aspx3/12/2014The IOM will conduct a systematic review and critique of reintegration programs and prevention strategies for behavioral and mental health (i.e., PTSD, depression, recovery support, and prevention of substance abuse, suicide, and interpersonal violence). Additionally the committee will identify various models for measuring performance of prevention programs. The committee will also hold an information-sharing meeting that convenes stakeholders and subject matter experts associated with program evaluation and prevention efforts. http://www.iom.edu/Activities/Veterans/MilitaryMentalBehavioralHealth.aspx2/19/2014