Identifying Gaps in Patient-Provider Communication and Improving Care for Veterans with Gulf War Illness

Abstract

Research has shown that there are gaps in knowledge that Primary Care Physicians (PCPs) have regarding Gulf War Illness (GWI), etiology, and potential treatments. It is essential to provide awareness of the leading theories of GWI and how etiologic factors have led to biologic markers and specific treatments, so that clinicians can more effectively communicate with their Gulf War veteran (GWV) patients and provide appropriate care. The goals of this project are to identify the gaps in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and community Primary Care Physicians' (PCPs) knowledge about GWI, etiology, and current treatments and address those gaps through a training module. The specific aims of this proposal are (1) Assess PCPs knowledge of GWI, patient provider communication approaches, and diagnostic strategies. (2) Create the educational training for PCPs based off the gaps identified in Aim 1. (3) Assess PCPs knowledge of GWI, patient provider communication approaches, and diagnostic strategies after having reviewed the training materials provided. (4) Implement sustainment plan. This proposal consists of three phases: Pre-Test, Training, and Post-Test. The Pre-Test Survey will contain 3 structured clinical vignettes, questions pertaining to treating veteran illnesses, and demographics about PCPs training and experiences. Three months after the completion of the Pre-Test Survey, PCPs will receive another survey containing a 25-minute video training module followed by comprehension questions. Three months after the training module has been completed, PCPs will receive the Post-Test survey containing 3 additional structured clinical vignettes and questions pertaining to treating veteran illnesses. We will assess the efficacy of the training module by comparing the PCPs performance on the clinical vignettes before and after training. There are no results as of yet.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2021
Accession Number
AD1162337

Entities

People

  • Kim Sullivan
  • Maxine H Krengel

Organizations

  • Boston VA Research Institute

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Biomedical Research
  • Communities
  • Data Analysis
  • Delivery Of Health Care
  • Department Of Defense
  • Department Of Veterans Affairs
  • Electronic Mail
  • Health
  • Institutional Review Board
  • Law
  • Maryland
  • Materials
  • Medical Personnel
  • Persian Gulf Syndrome
  • Personnel Management
  • Physicians
  • Professional Development
  • Public Health
  • Surveys
  • Training

Readers

  • Gulf War Illness and Chronic Multisymptom Illness in Veterans.
  • Medical or Health Care Field.
  • Military Training and Readiness Simulation