Is chronic kidney disease (CKD) diagnosed based on a single estimated glomerular filtration rate measurement significantly different from that diagnosed using the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) guideline?
Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s Letter: Constituents Frustrated With VA Disability Exams
Veterans are reporting disability exam experiences with third-party contractors that are “inadequate and unprofessional,” and it has a leading Democratic senator asking what the VA plans to do about it.
Ilem Advocates for Disabled Veterans for a Quarter Century
There’s a well-worn quote about how laws are like sausages, in that you should never either being made. In reality, the legislative process can be even messier, more laborious, and require even more hands in its construction.
Editorial Director
Thanks to cutting-edge efforts to use targeted testing and strict guideline-adherence, the care of patients with serious illnesses is arguably better than ever at the VA and military healthcare systems.
VA Clinicians Tackle Issue of Defining and Combatting ‘Diabetes Distress’
The term “diabetes distress” is used to describe the emotional response to living with diabetes, a life-threatening illness that requires chronic and demanding self-management.
Atopic Dermatitis, Other Skin Issues Are Challenging for U.S. Military
Military servicemembers are often exposed to drastic climates, environments, and living conditions which may make them more susceptible to cutaneous diseases, according to a new study.
Many Veterans With Diabetic Kidney Disease Might Remain Undiagnosed
The authors of a new study suggested their findings might warrant a revision of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) patient identification and management in U.S. veterans.
Higher MIBC Rate but No More Mortality in Black Veterans vs. Whites
Black patients presented with the highest rates of de novo muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) at the VA, a new study has found.
Military Veterans With Sex Chromosome Aneuploidies Tend to Be Underdiagnosed
Men with sex chromosome aneuploidies, meaning they have an additional X or Y chromosome, successfully serve in the U.S. military, but they have been greatly underdiagnosed and have higher medical morbidity with aging, according to a recent study.
Survey Suggests MTF Employees Remain Unhappy With DoD’s New Genesis EHR
A recent survey of employees at military treatment facilities shows significant dissatisfaction with DoD’s new electronic health record system (EHR), which completed its 7-year rollout in March.
VA Has Low Rates of Preoperative Life-Sustaining Treatment Documentation
Surgery is a significant healthcare event that necessitates timely planning for goals of care (GOC), involving discussions about one’s current values, aspirations and treatment preferences.
OIG Report Puts Spotlight on Questionable Bonuses to Top VA Executives
In September 2023, VA revealed that it had erroneously awarded $10.8 million in bonuses to 182 senior executives at its central office using retention provisions included in the PACT Act.
Legislators Told AI Both Promising, Scary for Improving VA Healthcare
The speed at which artificial intelligence (AI) is being embraced at the VA has legislators both hopeful and concerned, optimistic that it can improve veterans’ health but worried about data privacy and the possibility of software superseding human decision-making in clinical settings.
SGLT-2i, Testosterone Combo Can Increase Risk of Erythocytosis
Red blood cell production is stimulated with the combination of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT-2i) and testosterone replacement therapy TRT), based on clinical trial findings.
A Fight Over In-Vitro Fertilization at VA, as Some Lawmakers Seek to End It
Conservative lawmakers are seeking to limit VA’s ability to provide family planning care on two very different fronts.
Olfactory Function Loss in GW Veterans Linked to Cognitive Deficits
A disorder related to military service in the 1991 Gulf War (GW), Gulf War illness (GWI)/Chronic Multisymptom Illness (CMI) includes symptoms such as fatigue, pain and cognitive dysfunction.
VA Resource Crunch Less Than Feared With PACT Act-Related Enrollment Surge
The VA is experiencing less of a resource crunch this year due to the PACT Act-related surge than previously expected, according to VA Secretary Denis McDonough. He gave the credit to early planning and increased hiring.
VA Has Low Rates of Preoperative Life-Sustaining Treatment Documentation
Surgery is a significant healthcare event that necessitates timely planning for goals of care (GOC), involving discussions about one’s current values, aspirations and treatment preferences.
Bramhall Works to Resolve Common Hearing Loss in Military Veterans
It’s such a common ailment among veterans that it’s almost a given: If you served any time in the military, you’re walking out with some type of hearing problem. That usually presents as hearing loss or tinnitus—a persistent ringing sound in the ears.
Women Veterans Receiving Surgery at the VHA Have Half the Risk of Mortality
Only 11% of U.S. military veterans are women, according to recent statistics, and they make up even a smaller percentage of patients using VA healthcare—about 10%.
VA Seeks ‘Maintenance Budget’ After Record Growth in Enrollment, Hiring
While VA’s proposed budget represents a 10% increase from last year, it includes decreases in key areas like hiring and infrastructure.
Higher Risk of Dementia Found in Veterans With Housing Instability
Veterans who experience housing instability have an elevated risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia compared to those with stable housing, according to a recent study.
New Therapies Have Improved Survival for Prostate Cancer Patients
Improved treatment has meant better overall survival for many men diagnosed with prostate cancer, according to a new research letter. For older patients, however, the benefits of the new therapies weren’t as effective, the authors pointed out.
GOP Lawmakers Challenge Data That COVID-19 Vaccine Protected Troops
Recent data from DoD seems to confirm what researchers and physicians have been saying for years—that individuals who receive the COVID-19 vaccine are less likely to experience long-term health effects than those who do not.
HCC Tumor Recurrence After Radiologic Responses
How often does local recurrence occur in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients who undergo selective transarterial radioembolisation (TARE) or transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE) and achieve a complete response (CR) radiologically?
Biomarkers Help Predict Which Cirrhosis Patients Develop HCC
It can be difficult to determine which patients with cirrhosis will go on to develop hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Accelerated PACT Timeline Opens VA Healthcare to Many More Veterans
VA has dramatically accelerated the healthcare provision of the PACT Act, opening healthcare enrollment to hundreds of thousands of veterans who might have been exposed to toxic substances during their service.
Misclassification Affects Estimates of Opioid-Use Disorder Medications
Is misclassification of people who inject drugs (PWID) and are hospitalized because of infections affecting the analysis of outcomes from medications for opioid-use disorder (MOUD?
Long-Acting Benzodiazepines Best for Alcohol Withdrawal in Veterans
An extensive study of VA patients concluded that the best way to manage alcohol withdrawal in hospitalized settings is the use of long-acting benzodiazepines with symptom-triggered therapy, as recommended in American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) guidelines.
Study: Racism Contributes to Low OUD Prescribing in MHS
Rates of prescribing for medication for opioid-use disorder (MOUD) are low in the MHS and show evidence of institutional racism, according to a new study.
