Background
Veterans are not well informed of the presumptive conditions associated with toxic exposures endured during military service. A quality improvement project was created to increase awareness. The purpose of this project was to: Raise awareness of presumptive conditions associated with Agent Orange, Camp LeJeune contaminated water and Southwest Asia Burn Pit (fine particulate) exposure, to notify veterans how to initiate the disability benefits application process, and to inform veterans and providers of new changes in legislation (ie, Blue Water and Southwest Asia).
Methods
Using the Cancer Registry, the cancer access coordinator identified veterans with a diagnosis on each of the 3 presumptive condition lists for Agent Orange, Camp Lejeune, and Southwest Asia. These lists were then forwarded to informatics who further screened for military service history. Informative mailers were then sent to the identified veterans, alerting them to their potential eligibility for disability benefits. In addition, the mailers informed veterans how to initiate the benefits application process, how to schedule Disability Benefit Questionnaire (DBQ) exams to expedite the process, as well as contact information for local Veteran’s Service Commission (VSC) and the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) for further assistance. These letters were also distributed throughout the medical facility and was shared at cancer committee meetings to increase provider awareness.
Results
In 2021, 604 veterans were identified as potentially eligible for disability benefits and were contacted via mailer. As a result, 153 veterans have been granted service-connected benefits for their identified condition. An additional 91 mailers have been sent since January 2022.
Conclusions
Utilizing this simple practice increases both veteran and provider awareness of presumptive conditions, and aids in veterans receiving the disability compensation they are entitled to. In addition, this practice improves the overall quality of care the veterans receive through the VA and gives us a chance to give back to our veterans.
