Veterans' Healthcare Issues

Course overview

The provision of healthcare for veterans, particularly those who have been deployed in a theater of war, can be challenging, and the presentation of symptoms may not always be what it appears. This educational activity is meant to serve as a tool to increase the practitioner's awareness of and sensitivity to the health issues that veterans experience. This course will review the issues associated with conditions likely to be seen in veterans by practitioners who are not within the Veteran's Health Administration (VHA) or the Department of Defense (DoD). It is important that practitioners inquire about military service and deployment overseas when performing an intake physical examination. In this activity, we address post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suicidality, and traumatic brain injury (TBI). We also cover the topics of infectious diseases and exposure to chemicals. After completing this activity, practitioners/members of the healthcare team should be able to: apply the diagnostic criteria for PTSD; assess the risk of suicide in a veteran who presents for medical care; and evaluate the signs and symptoms of service-related infectious diseases in order to make an accurate diagnosis.