Saturday, June 19, 2010
June 2010 VA Research Currents
June, 2010 In this issue: Shingles vaccine safe but not widely used;The smaller the better: Seeking new drugs that can reach the brain;Trial provides insight on Parkinson’s treatment; Pilot program cuts postsurgery pneumonia; New saliva test may help diagnose heart attack; Career Milestones; Shaping the future of women’s care in VA; Study finds range of readjustment problem. VA
Three New VAOIG Reports
Combined Assessment Program Review of the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, New Orleans, Louisiana; Report Number 10-00558-176, 6/17/2010 | Summary | Report (PDF)
Healthcare Inspection Community Based Outpatient Clinic Reviews Smithville, MS and Memphis (Memphis-South), TN Knoxville, TN and Norton, VA Chattanooga and Nashville (Vine Hill), TN; Report Number 10-00627-174, 6/16/2010 | Summary | Report (PDF)
Combined Assessment Program Review of the VA New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, New Jersey; Report Number 10-00470-172, 6/15/2010 | Summary | Report (PDF)
Filing Claims Now Easier for Veterans
VA Makes Filing Claims Easier and Faster for Veterans 06/19/2010. As part of Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki’s effort to break the back of the backlog, the Department of Veterans Affairs is reducing the paperwork and expediting the process for Veterans seeking compensation for disabilities related to their military service. VA
VA a 'Hostile' Work Environment?
VA faces flood of new claims and charges of a 'hostile' work environment 06/19/2010. The Veterans Affairs Department faces a wave of more than a million new disability claims this year, a workload compounded by delays in developing automated systems to process them, department officials and representatives of veterans services organizations told House lawmakers on Wednesday (06/16/2010). NextGov
VA Works Towards Secure Version of Virtual Lifetime Electronic (Health) Record (VLER)
VA backs ‘direct’ avenues to health info exchange 06/19/2010. The Veterans Affairs Department will incorporate options for rudimentary health information exchange (HIE) into its strategy for creating a virtual lifetime electronic record (VLER) for its beneficiaries, a senior VA official said. Government Health IT
VA Struggling to Keep-up With Disability Claims
VA still battling errors, backlog in disability claims 06/19/2010. Retired Marine Sgt. Michael Madden of Prescott, Ariz., knows what it means to battle. In Vietnam, he was shot in the head, forcing him to undergo spinal cord surgery that has left him in a wheelchair. But the fight was not over for Madden. After being told by a Veterans Affairs doctor to file for funding to make his home and car wheelchair-adaptable, Madden has spent the last decade in a jungle of bureaucracy, legalese and claim denials. More than $6,000 of out-of-pocket expenses and a suspended Arizona driver's license later, Madden is still searching for answers. Federal Times
New PubMed Articles 19 June 2010
1.
Breshears RE, Brenner LA, Harwood JE, Gutierrez PM.
2.
VanDeusen Lukas C, Engle RL, Holmes SK, Parker VA, Petzel RA, Nealon Seibert M, Shwartz M, Sullivan JL.
Health Care Manage Rev. 2010 Jul-Sep;35(3):235-45.PMID: 20551771 [PubMed - in process]Related citations
3.
Sullivan MD, Gaster B, Russo J, Bowlby L, Rocco N, Sinex N, Livovich J, Jasti H, Arnold R.
4.
Albertson TE, Walker Jr VM, Stebbins MR, Ashton EW, Owen KP, Sutter ME.
Ann Pharmacother. 2010 Jun 15. [Epub ahead of print]PMID: 20551297 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]Related citations
5.
Elbogen EB, Wagner HR, Fuller SR, Calhoun PS, Kinneer PM; Mid-Atlantic Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center Workgroup, Beckham JC.
Am J Psychiatry. 2010 Jun 15. [Epub ahead of print]PMID: 20551162 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]Related citations
6.
Paukert AL, Calleo J, Kraus-Schuman C, Snow L, Wilson N, Petersen NJ, Kunik ME, Stanley MA.
Int Psychogeriatr. 2010 Jun 16:1-10. [Epub ahead of print]PMID: 20550745 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]Related citations
7.
Selim AJ, Berlowitz D, Kazis LE, Rogers W, Wright SM, Qian SX, Rothendler JA, Spiro A 3rd, Miller D, Selim BJ, Fincke BG.
Health Serv Res. 2010 Apr;45(2):376-96. Epub 2009 Dec 30.PMID: 20050934 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related citations
New VA Surgery Rating System Affects Where Vets Get Care
Veterans Travel Farther For Surgery With New Policy 06/19/2010. A new rating system now restricts the types of surgery performed at certain Veterans Affairs facilities in five states. The new policy will prompt some veterans to travel farther to reach other VA facilities or civilian hospitals for more complex surgeries. The policy comes after investigations found that surgical mistakes had caused nine deaths in the department's Marion, Ill., hospital a few years ago. NPR
Thursday, June 17, 2010
New PubMed Articles 17 June 2010
1.
Zeber JE, Miller AL, Copeland LA, McCarthy JF, Zivin K, Valenstein M, Greenwald D, Kilbourne AM.
Adm Policy Ment Health. 2010 Jun 12. [Epub ahead of print]PMID: 20549327 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]Related citations
2.
Ross JS, Maynard C, Krumholz HM, Sun H, Rumsfeld JS, Normand SL, Wang Y, Fihn SD.
Med Care. 2010 Jun 11. [Epub ahead of print]PMID: 20548253 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]Related citations
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Rittman M, Hinze M, Citty S, Chappell J, Anderson C.
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O'Hare AM, Hailpern SM, Pavkov ME, Rios-Burrows N, Gupta I, Maynard C, Todd-Stenberg J, Rodriguez RA, Hemmelgarn BR, Saran R, Williams DE.
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Plassman BL, Williams JW Jr, Burke JR, Holsinger T, Benjamin S.
Ann Intern Med. 2010 Jun 14. [Epub ahead of print]PMID: 20547887 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]Related citations
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Pietrzak RH, Goldstein MB, Malley JC, Rivers AJ, Southwick SM.
Psychiatry Res. 2010 May 21. [Epub ahead of print]PMID: 20546925 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]Related citations
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Hagedorn HJ, Heideman PW.
Implement Sci. 2010 Jun 14;5(1):46. [Epub ahead of print]PMID: 20546584 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]Related citations
8.
Yaffe K, Vittinghoff E, Lindquist K, Barnes D, Covinsky KE, Neylan T, Kluse M, Marmar C.
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2010 Jun;67(6):608-13.PMID: 20530010 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related citations
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Singh H, Vij MS.
Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf. 2010 May;36(5):226-32.PMID: 20480756 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related citations
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McInnes DK, Gifford AL, Kazis LE, Wagner TH.
11.
Baz W, El-Soueidi R, Nakhl F, Aoun N, Chin N, Dhar M.
Jpn J Clin Oncol. 2010 Jun;40(6):593-5. Epub 2010 Apr 8.PMID: 20382635 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related citations
12.
Siejka A, Schally AV, Block NL, Barabutis N.
PTSD: Gene That Codes for the Serotonin Transporter Affects Vulnerability and Treatment
PTSD: The serotonin system influences vulnerability and treatment 06/17/2010. There is a great deal of interest in factors that contribute to the vulnerability to developing post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. One factor that appears to contribute to the heritable vulnerability to PTSD is a variation in the gene that codes for the serotonin transporter, also known as the serotonin uptake site. Elsevier via Eurekalert!
Stem Cells Help Heal Bone Injuries in Soldiers
Stem Cells from Fat May Help Heal Bone in Wounded Soldiers 06/17/2010. Soldiers in combat suffer massive wounds to bone and tissue quite unlike most injuries that civilian doctors treat. Explosive blasts, rarely encountered in civilian life, cause about 2/3 of the injuries in Iraq. Musculoskeletal injuries account for about 70% of war wounds, and 55% of those are wounds to the arms and legs. Fractures account for 26% of combat injuries. PhysOrg.com
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Veterans Affairs Researchers Study PTSD Symptoms Related To Anger And Aggressiveness
Specific PTSD Symptoms Related To Anger And Aggressiveness Among Iraq/Afghanistan Veterans 06/16/2010. Focusing on certain PTSD symptoms may be key to treating anger among Iraq/Afghanistan Veterans, according to a study by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Veterans Affairs researchers. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine via Medical News Today
American Psychiatric Association Study Addresses Postdeployment Anger And Aggressiveness In Veterans Of Iraq And Afghanistan Wars
Study Addresses Postdeployment Anger And Aggressiveness In Veterans Of Iraq And Afghanistan Wars 06/16/2010. Hyperarousal symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including sleep problems, irritability, difficulty concentrating, jumpiness, and feeling constantly "on guard" are associated with anger and hostility in soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. American Psychiatric Association via Medical News Today
VA Physician on Benefits of Vitamin D
Vitamin D: Not just for bones, says San Francisco VA physician 06/16/2010. It is well-known that vitamin D is essential for strong and healthy bones. However, in an article in the online "In Press" section of "Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism," a San Francisco VA Medical Center physician reviews recent scientific literature suggesting that the vitamin may also play a role in preventing cancer, fighting infection, and controlling or preventing auto-immune disease. University of California, San Francisco via PhysOrg.com
$300 Million for the Mess We Left Behind
$300 mln to cope with Agent Orange in Vietnam 06/16/2010. Thirty-five years after the Vietnam War, a $300 million price tag has been placed on the most contentious legacy still tainting U.S.-Vietnam relations: Agent Orange. PhysOrg.com
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
New PubMed Articles 15 June 2010
1.
Barker MD, Horner MD, Bachman DL.
Clin Neuropsychol. 2010 Jun 8:1-14. [Epub ahead of print]PMID: 20544558 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]Related citations
2.
Miyahira SD, Folen RA, Hoffman HG, Garcia-Palacios A, Schaper KM.
3.
Shortell SM, McCurdy RK.
4.
Kumar G, Markert RJ, Patel R.
Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 2010 Jun 11. [Epub ahead of print]PMID: 20543162 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]Related citations
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Pinals DA.
J Am Acad Psychiatry Law. 2010;38(2):163-7. No abstract available. PMID: 20542935 [PubMed - in process]Related citations
6.
Zillich AJ, Hudmon KS, Damush T.
7.
Renshaw KD, Rodebaugh TL, Rodrigues CS.
J Anxiety Disord. 2010 May 24. [Epub ahead of print]PMID: 20541905 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]Related citations
8.
Vadakkadath Meethal S, Atwood CS.
Neurobiol Aging. 2010 Jun 10. [Epub ahead of print]PMID: 20541840 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]Related citations
9.
Grubaugh AL, Long ME, Elhai JD, Frueh BC, Magruder KM.
Behav Res Ther. 2010 May 27. [Epub ahead of print]PMID: 20541179 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]Related citations
10.
Edelman D, Fredrickson SK, Melnyk SD, Coffman CJ, Jeffreys AS, Datta S, Jackson GL, Harris AC, Hamilton NS, Stewart H, Stein J, Weinberger M.
Ann Intern Med. 2010 Jun 1;152(11):689-96.PMID: 20513826 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related citations
11.
Dau B, Ayers D, Singer J, Harrigan PR, Brown S, Kyriakides T, Cameron DW, Angus B, Holodniy M.
J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2010 Jun;54(2):160-6.PMID: 20130473 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related citations
Focusing on Certain PTSD Symptoms May be Key to Treating Anger Among Iraq/Afghanistan Veterans
Study: Specific PTSD symptoms related to anger and aggressiveness among Iraq/Afghanistan veterans 06/15/2010. Focusing on certain PTSD symptoms may be key to treating anger among Iraq/Afghanistan Veterans, according to a study by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Veterans Affairs researchers. "Most returning veterans don't have PTSD or difficulty with anger or aggressiveness, but for the small subset who do, this study helps to identify related risk factors," said Eric Elbogen, PhD, lead author of the study, an assistant professor of psychiatry in the UNC School of Medicine and a staff psychologist at the VA Medical Center in Durham, N.C. University of North Carolina School of Medicine via Eurekalert
Sunday, June 13, 2010
4 New VAOIG Reports
Combined Assessment Program Review of the Chillicothe VA Medical Center Chillicothe, Ohio; Report Number 10-00049-169, 6/10/2010 | Summary | Report (PDF)
Healthcare Inspection Allegations Concerning Respiratory Therapy and Nursing VA Medical Center Memphis, Tennessee; Report Number 09-03815-170, 6/10/2010 | Summary | Report (PDF)
Healthcare Inspection Suicide After Hospitalization At a Veterans Health Facility; Report Number 10-01346-167, 6/9/2010 | Summary | Report (PDF)
Combined Assessment Program Review of the VA Puget Sound Health Care System Seattle, Washington; Report Number 10-00465-168, 6/9/2010 | Summary | Report (PDF)
VA to Increase Some Veterans' Medication Co-pay by $1 for 30 Day Supply
VA Announces Change to Medication Copays for Some Veterans 06/13/2010. As previously announced on January 7, 2010, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) froze prescription copayment increases for six months. Veterans who generally have higher income and no service-connected disabilities - referred to as Priority Groups 7 and 8 Veterans - will now pay an additional $1 for each 30-day supply of outpatient medications. Taking effect July 1, the increase to $9 from $8 is the first change in VA’s medication copay since Jan. 1, 2006. VA
DARPA Moves Ahead With Online PTSD Project Despite Lack of Funding
With possibility of no funding, Defense still moves on PTSD online project 06/13/2010. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency plans to hold a conference on Friday to inform industry about a project that would create virtual worlds, social media sites and telehealth services to help treat troops suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and brain injuries -- even though Congress killed funding for it earlier this year. DARPA officials said it will develop its ambitious Healing Heroes project using guidance by a board of advisers drawn from the Defense and Veterans Affairs departments, particularly the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury. NextGov
Are Some Veterans Getting 'Hooked' on Over-prescribed Medications?
Vets Hooked by Over Prescribed Meds 06/13/2010. Two doctors who worked at the Hampton VA Medical Center say powerful narcotics are being over prescribed to veterans there, leaving them addicted while their underlying medical conditions go untreated. Military.com
New PubMed Articles 13 June 2010
1.
Lynch CP, Gebregziabher M, Echols C, Gilbert GE, Zhao Y, Egede LE.
J Gen Intern Med. 2010 Jun 8. [Epub ahead of print]PMID: 20532659 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]Related citations
2.
Goldstein G, Luther JF, Haas GL, Appelt CJ, Gordon AJ.
Psychiatr Q. 2010 Jun 8. [Epub ahead of print]PMID: 20532627 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]Related citations
3.
Yaffe K, Vittinghoff E, Lindquist K, Barnes D, Covinsky KE, Neylan T, Kluse M, Marmar C.
4.
Liu CF, Chapko M, Bryson CL, Burgess JF Jr, Fortney JC, Perkins M, Sharp ND, Maciejewski ML.
Health Serv Res. 2010 May 28. [Epub ahead of print]PMID: 20528989 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]Related citations
5.
White DL, Savas LS, Daci K, Elserag R, Graham DP, Fitzgerald SJ, Smith SL, Tan G, El-Serag HB.
Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2010 Jun 4. [Epub ahead of print]PMID: 20528828 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]Related citations
6.
Kastman EK, Willette AA, Coe CL, Bendlin BB, Kosmatka KJ, McLaren DG, Xu G, Canu E, Field AS, Alexander AL, Voytko ML, Beasley TM, Colman RJ, Weindruch RH, Johnson SC.
7.
Hunanyan AS, GarcÃa-AlÃas G, Alessi V, Levine JM, Fawcett JW, Mendell LM, Arvanian VL.
8.
Lindström S, Ma J, Altshuler D, Giovannucci E, Riboli E, Albanes D, Allen NE, Berndt SI, Boeing H, Bueno-de-Mesquita HB, Chanock SJ, Dunning AM, Feigelson HS, Gaziano JM, Haiman CA, Hayes RB, Henderson BE, Hunter DJ, Kaaks R, Kolonel LN, Le Marchand L, MartÃnez C, Overvad K, Siddiq A, Stampfer M, Stattin P, Stram DO, Thun MJ, Trichopoulos D, Tumino R, Virtamo J, Weinstein SJ, Yeager M, Kraft P, Freedman ML.
J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2010 Jun 9. [Epub ahead of print]PMID: 20534771 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]Related citations
9.
Pyszka LL, Seys Ranola TM, Milhans SM.
10.
Markland AD, Goode PS, Burgio KL, Redden DT, Richter HE, Sawyer P, Allman RM.
J Am Geriatr Soc. 2010 Jun 1. [Epub ahead of print]PMID: 20533967 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]Related citations
11.
Department of Veterans Affairs.
12.
Crew JD, Svircev JN, Burns SP.
13.
Pan HC, Yang DY, Ou YC, Ho SP, Cheng FC, Chen CJ.
Neurosurgery. 2010 Jun 9. [Epub ahead of print]PMID: 20539249 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]Related citations
14.
Langevin JP, De Salles AA, Kosoyan HP, Krahl SE.
J Psychiatr Res. 2010 May 25. [Epub ahead of print]PMID: 20537659 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]Related citations
15.
Doberenz S, Roth WT, Wollburg E, Breuninger C, Kim S.
J Psychiatr Res. 2010 May 26. [Epub ahead of print]PMID: 20537349 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]Related citations
16.
Muus KJ, Knudson A, Klug MG, Gokun J, Sarrazin M, Kaboli P.
Rural Remote Health. 2010 Apr-Jun;10(2):1447. Epub 2010 Jun 8.PMID: 20536269 [PubMed - in process]Related citations
17.
Follett KA, Weaver FM, Stern M, Hur K, Harris CL, Luo P, Marks WJ Jr, Rothlind J, Sagher O, Moy C, Pahwa R, Burchiel K, Hogarth P, Lai EC, Duda JE, Holloway K, Samii A, Horn S, Bronstein JM, Stoner G, Starr PA, Simpson R, Baltuch G, De Salles A, Huang GD, Reda DJ; CSP 468 Study Group.
N Engl J Med. 2010 Jun 3;362(22):2077-91.PMID: 20519680 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related citations
18.
Walderhaug E, Kasserman S, Aikins D, Vojvoda D, Nishimura C, Neumeister A.
Pharmacopsychiatry. 2010 Mar;43(2):45-9. Epub 2009 Dec 15.PMID: 20108200 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related citations
Bringing Peace to Troubled Veterans
Bringing peace to troubled veterans (Opinion from Denver Post) 06/13/2010. Troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan have been getting short shrift on several fronts. But, as Jose Barco's case shows, the legal system usually cuts them no slack and sometimes slams them extra hard precisely because they wore a U.S. uniform. Prison is where "Frontline" interviewed him for the documentary, "The Wounded Platoon," which aired last month on Public Broadcasting Service stations. He is one of 17 men returning to the Fort Carson who, over a five-year period, were convicted or charged with homicide or attempting it. Denver Post
TechRadium's IRIS to Provide Cloud-computing-based System for Notifying Federal Employees of When H1N1 Vaccinations are Available
VA selects IRIS to provide communication system for notifying federal employees on H1N1 vaccinations 06/13/2010. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has selected TechRadium's IRIS to provide a cloud-computing-based, interoperable communications system for notifying key federal employees of when H1N1 vaccinations are available for them. The Medical News
Cincinnati Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center Involved in Dialysis Study
Researchers receive funding to study care processes in patients beginning dialysis 06/13/2010. Researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) and the Cincinnati Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center have received funding to study the care processes that lead to placement of arteriovenous fistulas in patients beginning dialysis. The Medical News
Three New VA Tweets
VeteransHealth: RT @mdvagov: #My HealtheVet is a powerful tool for Vets to manage their own #personal #health care. http://ow.ly/1QQ8I
VeteransHealth: RT @VAPittsburgh: Where can you find the highest quality health care in the U.S.? #Veterans Health Admin. (Market Watch): http://ht.ly/1SXmq
VeteransHealth: Games and puzzles as a cure? You bet! Watch this VA video about traumatic brain injury recovery: http://ow.ly/1MxL9
VeteransHealth: RT @VAPittsburgh: Where can you find the highest quality health care in the U.S.? #Veterans Health Admin. (Market Watch): http://ht.ly/1SXmq
VeteransHealth: Games and puzzles as a cure? You bet! Watch this VA video about traumatic brain injury recovery: http://ow.ly/1MxL9
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