Gulf War Veterans: Incidence of Tumors Cannot Be Reliably Determined From Available Data
NSIAD-98-89
Published: Mar 03, 1998. Publicly Released: Apr 09, 1998.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed data on the incidence of tumors among Gulf War veterans, focusing on: (1) the reliability of data sources available for determining the incidence of tumors among Gulf War veterans; and (2) the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) and the Department of Defense's (DOD) use of data sources to monitor tumors and other illnesses among Gulf War veterans.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Defense | In order to evaluate more effectively the incidence of tumors and other Gulf War illnesses over time, the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs should continue to strengthen existing monitoring capabilities. Attention should be directed toward improving the utility of existing data systems and particularly in developing cost-effective ways to make data systems more compatible with one another so that information from different sources can be linked. In addition, steps should be taken to address the data quality concerns identified in this report. |
Closed – Implemented
DOD and VA have indicated they are working to improve health information, including the transfer of data between the departments and the development of a joint computerized patient record system. However, DOD and VA have not developed a formal plan for making these changes and have not set any concrete timeline.
|
| Department of Veterans Affairs | In order to evaluate more effectively the incidence of tumors and other Gulf War illnesses over time, the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs should continue to strengthen existing monitoring capabilities. Attention should be directed toward improving the utility of existing data systems and particularly in developing cost-effective ways to make data systems more compatible with one another so that information from different sources can be linked. In addition, steps should be taken to address the data quality concerns identified in this report. |
Closed – Implemented
DOD and VA have indicated they are working to improve health information, including the transfer of data between the departments and the development of a joint computerized patient record system. However, DOD and VA have not developed a formal plan for making these changes and have not set any concrete timeline.
|
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Armed forces abroadBiological warfareCancerChemical warfareDisease detection or diagnosisGulf war syndromeHealth surveysMedical information systemsMilitary personnelStatistical dataRegistries