While the rollout of VA’s new electronic health record (EHR) has been paused indefinitely as the department works with the developer to address serious flaws in the system, legislators are worried about ongoing issues at the sites where the new EHR has already been introduced.
COVID Mortality Rates Higher for Older Veterans Hospitalized in the Community
Veterans 65 and older with COVID-19 had lower survival rates when cared for in community hospitals than in VHA facilities. Contributing to the higher mortality rates, according to a recent study, is that so many older, rural veterans were treated by necessity in nearby hospitals.
Survey Finds Greater Patient Satisfaction With Care From VA vs. Community
Patient satisfaction is higher with care received at VA hospitals than most community facilities, according to recent federal data which bolsters previous evidence of comparatively high-quality care provided by VHA facilities.
TCE Exposure Linked to Parkinson’s Disease In Servicemembers Stationed at Camp Lejeune, NC, from Mid-1970s-Mid-1980s
For veterans exposed to trichloroethylene (TCE) and other volatile organic compounds four decades ago, the risk of Parkinson’s disease is 70% higher than for veterans without those exposures, a new study suggests.
Anti-VEGF Injections Can Cause Adverse Events in Veterans With Diabetes
Diabetes patients who are treated with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injections, the primary treatment for diabetic retinopathy, have a higher likelihood of experiencing adverse events, such as acute myocardial infarction, cardiovascular disease or kidney disease, according to a recent study.
Seeing America slowly, was in a way, like eating slow food
My wife Pam and I have developed a habit of listening to audiobooks while traveling the American continent in our RV (TimBuckTwoBlog.com). A particular favorite for both of us was “The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey” by Rinker Buck. The book details Rinker and his brother, Nick, following the historic Oregon Trail in a covered wagon drawn by three mules in modern America. A recurrent theme in the text was the value of “seeing America slowly” from the buckboard seat of a covered wagon as everyday Americans whipped by on ribbons of asphalt at highway speed.
Rabiee Works to Increase Transplant Options for Veterans in Northeast
Each year, approximately 1,800 veterans are evaluated by VA for eligibility to receive an organ or bone marrow transplant, with approximately 450 veterans actually undergoing transplantation.
Older VA Patients More Difficult to Treat for Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma
SILVER SPRING, MD – The Food and Drug Administration’s approval this spring of polatuzumab vedotin-piiq, marketed as Polivy by Genentech, Inc., for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) has special significance for the VA because of its older population of patients....
Lymphoma Most Common Blood Cancer Diagnosed in Servicemembers
SAN ANTONIO – More than 700 active-duty U.S. servicemembers died between 2004 and 2015 of cancer, with lymphoma being the most common hematologic malignancy diagnosed, according to a new study. Researchers from the San Antonio Uniformed Service Health Consortium and...
Rural Residence Affects Clinical Trial Enrollment for Veterans With Blood Cancer
DURHAM, NC – Participation in clinical trials (CTs) remains low among cancer patients in general, but, in veterans, that issue is exacerbated because of the higher percentage of rural residents, according to a new study. “The barrier of rural residence is relevant to...
Retaliation Common Against ‘Whistleblowers’ Who Point Out VA Wrongdoing
Despite strong messaging over the last few years that VA would protect employees who come forward about wrongdoing in the workplace, the percentage of whistleblowers who experience retaliation from co-workers is growing.
Survival Rates Trend Lower in Non-Hispanic Black Patients With Uterine Cancer
Disparities in survival exist between non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic white patients with uterine cancer. A new study from military researchers sought to determine why.
High Inhaled Corticosteroid Doses Don’t Appear to Increase Pneumonia Risk
While inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) combined with bronchodilators are known to improve outcomes in COPD, their use also can lead to certain adverse effects. That’s one reason a consensus on the optimal ICS dosing regimen has not been reached, according to a new study.
VA Initiative Reduced Staff Burn Out, Controlled HAIs During Pandemic
When the last Ebola epidemic in South Africa threatened to reach pandemic proportions, multidisciplinary staff at VA North Texas Health Care System (VANTHCS) formed the Serious Infectious Threat Response Initiative (SITRI).
Which T2D Drug Class Prevents CVD Best in Patients Without Previous Disease?
In 2020, in its annual revision of the Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) made some significant changes in recommendations.
OIG Calls for Update of 2008 VA Mental Health Services Handbook
VA’s mental health services handbook is almost a decade out of date, making consistent care more difficult to achieve and possibly putting veterans’ safety at risk, according to a report by the VA Office of the Inspector General (OIG).
VA Renegotiates EHR Contract With Oracle, Seeking More Developer Accountability
VA has renegotiated its $10 billion contract with Oracle, the developer of its troubled new electronic health record (EHR) system, which is currently in use at only five sites across the VA healthcare system.
Early Surgical Intervention, Blood Product Use in Battlefield Casualties
In planning and preparing for the future possibility of large-scale combat operations, military medicine might have to decide which wounded warriors can have delayed evacuations. One issue is the need for blood products.
Repository Offers Clues About Young Adult Classical HL
Immune abnormalities persist in young adult classical Hodgkin lymphoma (YAcHL) patients long after cure. Yet, new research presented at the most recent Annual ASH Meeting and Exposition in New Orleans pointed out the difficulties in assessing whether those issues existed prior to diagnosis.
ICI Cancer Therapy, Chemo Linked to Similar VTE Rates
Is immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy associated with higher rate of venous thromboembolism (VTE) compared with cytotoxic chemotherapy (chemo) in patients with comparable cancer type, staging and comorbidities?
New Consensus Statement on Thyroid Eye Disease Focuses on the Latest Therapies and the Need for Multidisciplinary Care
Also known as Graves’ ophthalmopathy or Graves’ orbitopathy, thyroid eye disease (TED) affects up to a third of people with autoimmune thyroid disease, most commonly hyperthyroidism due to Grave’s disease.
Adherence to Diabetes Medications Remained High During COVID-19 Pandemic
During the COVID-19 pandemic, high-risk diabetes patients who were treated in the VA Healthcare System adhered to their diabetes medication regimens and maintained high primary care use, even though virtual care replaced in-person care, according to a recent study.
VHA Patients Didn’t Have Greater Mortality Rate Increases Early in the Pandemic
Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, some concerns were raised about whether the VHA was experiencing a greater increase in mortality rates relative to the general population.
VA Makes Argument in Congress for Its Record-Setting $325.1B Budget Request
VA vociferously defended its proposed FY2024 budget before Congress in an effort to justify the record-setting $325.1 billion request—a 5.4% increase over last year’s enacted budget.
Opioid Use Increases Among Veterans Who Are Dual-System Users
Veterans who use dual systems (i.e., both VA and non-VA services, for medical care) are more likely to receive a new opioid prescription and to receive a diagnosis of opioid use disorder, according to a recent study.
The doctor of the future will give no medicine
I took a deep, cleansing breath and calmly explained to the Pentagon officer that pain was as complex and varied as human cancer. No one approach would solve the issue consistently for every patient without unwanted and occasionally severe consequences. Needless to say, this was not the answer these leaders were looking for. We all left the meeting disappointed.
No Increased Bladder Cancer Risk Seen With SGLT2 Inhibitors
For years, reports of higher risks of breast and bladder cancer with the use of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors have raised concerns.
Microscopic Hematuria in Urine Rarely Raises Cancer Risk
The discovery of blood in the urine might be alarming, but do patients with microscopic hematuria (MH) and a negative initial evaluation have an elevated risk for urinary carcinoma?
Recurrence Risk Lower When Blue Light Cystoscopy Used for Detection
White light cystoscopy has been found less effective in detecting cases of nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) than blue light cystoscopy.
Do Fungal Pathogens Cause ARI More Often Than Previously Suspected?
Fungal infections are known to be causes of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and acute respiratory illness (ARI), but it is not clear how their frequency compares with that of viral and bacterial causes of these conditions.
