Agent Orange: Actions Needed to Improve Communications of Air Force Ranch Hand Study Data and Results
Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined the conduct and findings of the Air Force's Ranch Hand study on the long-term health effects of exposure to herbicides, such as Agent Orange, in Vietnam, and assessed the study's impact on determinations of veterans' compensation, focusing on: (1) whether the study's findings and data have been properly and promptly reported and disseminated; (2) the statistical limitations of the study and whether they have been adequately reported and communicated; (3) the measures established to monitor the study's conduct and to prevent improper influence, particularly those involving the Ranch Hand Study's Advisory Committee; and (4) the impact of the study on determinations of diseases for which Vietnam veterans are eligible to receive compensation benefits.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Defense | To facilitate public access to study data and more effective communication of study limitations, the Secretary of Defense should direct the Air Force scientists in charge of the Ranch Hand study, in consultation with the Advisory Committee, to establish and publicize a timetable for the release of all study data and provisions to release the data in a format that is easily accessible to the general public. |
Closed – Implemented
DOD has published a timetable for releasing data and begun to make data available to users through the internet and computer disks.
|
| Department of Defense | To facilitate public access to study data and more effective communication of study limitations, the Secretary of Defense should direct the Air Force scientists in charge of the Ranch Hand study, in consultation with the Advisory Committee, to include more information on the study's limitations in press releases and executive summaries, which should address the limited applicability of the study results (especially negative results) to other Vietnam veterans and the limited ability of the study to detect small to moderate increases in risks of rare diseases. |
Closed – Implemented
DOD has begun to include additional statements in its reports concerning study limitations.
|
| Department of Health and Human Services | To facilitate dissemination of information on the Advisory Committee's activities to veterans, the Secretary of Health and Human Services should direct the Committee's Executive Secretary at the Food and Drug Administration to provide direct and timely notification to veterans' organizations of scheduled Advisory Committee meetings and of opportunities for veterans to nominate Committee members. |
Closed – Implemented
The FDA has recently begun to notify veterans' organizations of scheduled Ranch Hand Advisory meetings.
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