Persian Gulf War Syndrome in Veteran
Conditions
Keywords
patient satisfaction, Gulf War 1 Veteran, Desert Storm Veteran
Brief summary
The purpose of this study is to investigate Gulf War 1 Veteran (GW1V) patient perceptions of, and satisfaction with, their VA primary care treatment, and physician effectiveness in delivering improved point of service, in the Primary Care Clinics at the Veterans Administration (VA) Salt Lake City Health Care System.
Detailed description
Veterans of the 1990-1991 Gulf War1 (GW1) conflict are still experiencing a host of adverse health conditions at the present time. Many GW1 Veterans are still unhappy with their health care at the VA, and other stakeholders are critical of how the VA has dealt with GW1 Veterans' issues. For these reasons, the Gulf War Veterans' Illness Task Force (GWVI-TF) was set up to find ways to improve the situation. The present survey study addresses one of GWVI-TF's missions, that is, to identify gaps in VA services, and to discover opportunities to better serve GW1V. Caring for GW1V is a top priority for VA health care providers, which is all the more pressing for the following reasons: 1. medical science of Gulf War Illness and environmental exposures is still at its infancy, 2. most providers have not received any focused education about how to take care of GW1V and the unique medical problems these veterans face, 3. a lack of provider knowledge that GW1V may receive may lead to decreased satisfaction on the part of GW1V and may result in GW1V perceived health service quality that is compromised. In this pilot study, we focus on #2 and #3, to determine how we may understand veterans' perceptions of their medical treatment to ultimately improve GW1V medical health outcomes.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALProvider Education Workshop
Educational resources for physicians regarding the needs of GW1V patients.
Sponsors
VA Salt Lake City Health Care System
University of Utah
Study design
Observational model
CASE_CONTROL
Time perspective
RETROSPECTIVE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
38 Years to 80 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* a gulf war Veteran who served during the Persian Gulf War (GW1) of 1990-1991 * currently treated by a primary care physician at the VASLCHCS
Exclusion criteria
* cannot read and write English
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Client Satisfaction score | baseline and 3 months | The Client Satisfaction Questionnaire will be used to measure change in client satisfaction at baseline and after providers have received Provider Education Workshop training |
| Change in Patient Satisfaction score | baseline and 3 months | The Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire will be used to measure change in patient satisfaction at baseline and after providers have received Provider Education Workshop training |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Physician Assessment of GW1V Care | Baseline and 3 months | The Physician Survey will be used to measure change in physician assessment of GW1V care at baseline and after providers have received Provider Education Workshop training. |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed