Veterans have unique health concerns, which may not exist within other populations. As a result, providers who see and treat Veterans need a clinical understanding of the challenges Veterans increasingly face from potentially toxic military and deployment-related environmental exposures. The War Related Illness and Injury Study Center (WRIISC), in conjunction with the newly named VA Health Outcomes Military Exposures (HOME) office has created a comprehensive curriculum with content focused on key exposure and other clinical deployment health topics. This on-demand, eLearning training series, consisting of five modules, offers information and tools to increase knowledge of community and VA providers to support high quality care for Veterans. These WRIISC-HOME courses are accessible below.
- Module 1: Assessing Deployment-Related Environmental Exposures – This course informs learners how to recognize the role and importance of deployment-related exposures through conducting a life time exposure assessment; identifying the steps for determining deployment-related environmental exposures; and describing approaches to communicating deployment-related exposure issues to Veterans, their caregivers and their family members. Non-VA employees click here to register. VA employees click here to register.
- Module 2: Airborne Hazards – This course provides clinicians with the knowledge needed to identify and understand deployment-related airborne hazards concerns of Veterans. Non-VA employees click here to register. VA employees click here to register.
- Module 3: Gulf War Illness – This course provides health care providers with the knowledge needed to identify, diagnose, manage and appropriately treat Gulf War illness in Veterans. Non-VA employees click here to register. VA employees click here to register.
- Module 4: Chronic Multi-Symptom Illness – This course offers health care professionals an opportunity to gain insight into chronic multi-symptom illness, as well as the latest resources and management strategies to consider for care. Non-VA employees click here to register. VA employees click here to register.
- Module 5: Depleted Uranium and Toxic Embedded Fragments – This course discusses current research on health effects of depleted uranium (DU) in potentially DU-exposed populations; information about enrolling Veterans with suspected DU or toxic embedded fragments (TEF) into VA registry programs; and guidance about the clinical approach to Veterans with TEF. Non-VA employees click here to register. VA employees click here to register.
For more information on the WRIISC, please click here. With questions about this series, please contact Paulette Brower, program analyst.