Combatting Information Fatigue: Health Information Resources for Veterans Terri Ottosen Consumer Health Outreach Coordinator National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Southeastern Atlantic Region University of Maryland, Baltimore

Objectives: Understand the unique information needs of veterans and their families Utilize resources presented to locate reliable, authoritative health information specific to veterans Acquire skills and knowledge to effectively identify and assess resources not covered in the class

Informational Needs 8 million Vietnam Veterans 6.7 million World War II Veterans 4.3 million Korean conflict Veterans 697,000 Gulf War Veterans 1.4 million Afghanistan/Iraq Greater rates of diabetes/overweight/obese 1/3 U.S. veterans suffer from arthritis

Informational Needs Polytrauma Chronic Disease Traumatic Brain Injury Spinal Cord Injury Limb Loss Eye injuries PTSD and other mental health issues Health care benefits, insurance, financial issues

Informational Needs Number of uninsured veterans ~2 million Rose 2x as fast as the uninsured general population In Jan. 2003, health care access cut off to future veterans earning more than $30-35,000 annually on average Only a minority of veterans (those disabled by military service) are automatically eligible for VA care

Informational Needs 1/3 U.S. Military personnel war in Iraq access mental health services after returning home Prevalence rates of mental health concerns higher for Iraq veterans – 19.1% vs. 11.3% Afghanistan and 8.5% from other locations Veterans suffering depression are 7-8x more likely to commit suicide than general population: 90:100,000 vs. 13.5:100,000

Informational Needs VA and aid groups bracing for new surge in homeless veterans in years ahead Contributing factors: – High rates of PTSD – Traumatic brain injury which can cause unstable behavior and substance abuse – Long and repeated tours of duty which makes reintegration into families and work harder

Informational Needs Veterans: 11% adult population yet 26% of the homeless on any given day In 2006, 196,000 veterans of all ages were homeless on any given night Chronic cases (homeless for > year) 44,000-64,000 veterans Health information needs greater than general population?

General Health Resources Evaluating what’s out there on the Internet M+ : Evaluating Health Information M+ : Guide to Healthy Web Surfing Key Points: Who runs/pays for the site? What is the purpose? Source of info? Reviewed? Current? How are links to other sites chosen? User info collected? Able to contact? Accurate?

General Resources ClinicalTrials.gov Disability Information MedlinePlus: Veterans and Military Health

General Military Health Resources My HealthyE Vet Deployment Health Clinical Center VA Polytrauma System of Care Disabled American Veterans Deployment Health and Family Readiness Library Traumatic Brain Injury Veterans and Military Health: Websites Serving NC

Mental Health Resources Dept. of Veterans Affairs Vet Center National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Mental Health Self-Assessment Program VA Mental Health

Support Groups and Organizations Citizen Soldier Support Program Wounded Warrior Project Military Homefront Military Onesource Amputee Coalition of America National Amputation Foundation

Demographic Group Resources VA Women Veterans Health Care Center for Minority Veterans National Native American Veterans Association BlackMilitaryWorld

Spinal Cord Injuries and Disease Resources National Spinal Cord Injury Association SPINALCORD: Spinal Cord Injury Information Network M+ Interactive Tutorial: Spinal Cord Injuries

Chronic Disease Resources (WHO) World Health Organization: Chronic Diseases (CDC) Centers for Disease Control: Chronic Disease Prevention

Benefits Resources IRIS: Inquiry Routing and Information System (Veterans Affairs) GovBenefits.gov

Health Insurance and Consumer Assistance Navigating the Health Care System: A Resource Guide for Consumers Questions and Answers about Health Insurance Guide (AHRQ) Healthcare411

Current Awareness and Other Resources House Committee on Veterans Affairs Activities Veterans History Project Institute of Medicine: Health of Veterans and Deployed Forces Blogs: Readers: FeedDemon or Google Reader – Military Blogs (Milblogs)

VALNET: Referral VALNET: VA Library Network

Thank You! Questions or Comments: National Network of Libraries of Medicine or