U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Conducting Massive Study of Vets’ Health

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is conducting a longitudinal study of 60,000 vets and their health.  Called the National Health Study for a New Generation of U.S. Veterans, the department wants to study this group for 10 years.
The study aims to:

• provide insight on the overall health of recent veterans,
• improve the VA’s understanding of what health services veterans need, and
• maximize the quality of care that the VA offers.

The VA wants the study to include:

• 30,000 Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom Veterans;
• 30,000 veterans who served elsewhere during the same time period;
• veterans from each branch of the military;
• active duty, reserve, and National Guard members; and
• a sample of women veterans amounting to 20% of the total group.

All participants will fill out surveys and 1,000 will be asked to disclose medical records to the study’s researchers.