Overview
(table of contents)

Answers to these questions will provide information helpful in understanding patients' medical problems and complaints, and will help you establish rapport and therapeutic partnerships with military service members and veterans.

Answers to these questions will also provide a basis for timely referral to specialized medical resources.

Tell your patient about VA's website "My health e Vet", the gateway to veteran health benefits and services. This website allows veterans to enter their Military Service History online at www.myhealth.va.gov.

General Military Service Questions
(table of contents)

• Tell me about your military experience.
• When and where do you / did you serve?
• What do you / did you do while in the service?
• How has military service  affected you?

If your patient answers "Yes" to any of the following questions, ask:
"Can you tell me more about that?"

• Did you see combat, enemy fire, or casualties?
• Were you wounded, injured or hospitalized?
• Did you ever become ill while you were in the service?
• Were you a prisoner of war?

Issues of Concern

It is recommended that certain military service members and all veterans be asked the following questions:

General Questions
(table of contents)

• Do you have a claim pending for illness or injury related to your military service?
• Do you have a service-connected condition?
• Do you know how to initiate a claim if you think you might be entitled?
  (answer: "Call VBA at 1-800-827-1000")
• Did you participate in any experimental projects?
• Were you exposed to any unusual or toxic substances while in the service?

Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Infection
(table of contents)

• Did you have a blood transfusion before 1992?
• Have you ever injected drugs such as heroin or cocaine?

Homelessness
(table of contents)

• Where do you live?
• Is your housing secure?
• Are you in any danger of losing your housing?

Sexual harassment, assault and trauma
(table of contents)

• Have you ever experienced physical, emotional, or sexual harassment or trauma?
• Is this causing you problems now?
• Do you want a referral?

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
(table of contents)

In your life, have you ever had an experience so frightening, horrible, or upsetting that, in the past month, you…

• Have had nightmares about it or thought about it when you did not want to?
• Tried hard not to think about it or went out of your way to avoid situations that reminded you of it?
• Were constantly on guard, watchful, or easily startled?
• Felt numb or detached from others, activities, or your surroundings?

Unique Health Risks by Era

WWII / Korea
(table of contents)

• Cold injury
• Exposure to nuclear weapons (including testing or cleanup)
• Chemical warfare agent experiments

Cold War
(table of contents)

• Nuclear Testing

Vietnam
(table of contents)

• Agent Orange Exposure
• Hepatitis C

Gulf Wars
(table of contents)

• Exposures to smoke
• Leishmaniasis
• Immunizations
• Chemical or biological agents
• Depleted uranium (DU)

Operation Iraqi Freedom /
Operation Enduring Freedom
(OIF /OEF) (table of contents)

• Combined penetrating, blunt trauma, and burn injuries (blast injuries)
• Traumatic brain or spinal cord injury
• Mental health issues
• Vision loss
• Traumatic amputation
• Multi-drug resistant acinetobacter
• Leishmaniasis
• Depleted uranium (DU)

For additional resources, including selected articles, abstracts, and bibliographies, refer to:

Office of Academic Affiliations 
www.va.gov/oaa/

Veterans Health Initiative Independent Study Courses
Available on VA's INTRANET only
vaww.sites.lrn.va.gov/vhi/

Office of Public Health and Environmental Hazards
Available on VA's INTRANET only
vaww.vhaco.va.gov/pubhealth/

Information for Veterans about Eligibility for Compensation and Pension Benefits
www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/index.htm

Department of Veterans Affairs
Office of Academic Affiliations
March 2008