Summary: Persian Gulf veterans have reported an array of symptoms, including fatigue, rashes, headaches, muscle and joint pain, memory loss, shortness of breath, sleep disturbances, stomach problems, and chest pain. The efforts by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to serve Persian Gulf veterans is a four-pronged approach involving medical care, research, compensation, and outreach and education. More than 65,000 Persian Gulf veterans have received a VA medical examination, or "registry exam." The Persian Gulf veterans that GAO contacted, along with the veterans' service groups that GAO spoke with, appeared to be confused by, frustrated with, and mistrustful of VA and the care they received for their illnesses. Veterans cited delays in receiving services, the nonsympathetic attitudes of some health care providers, the sometimes cursory nature of the registry exam, poor feedback and communication with health care personnel, and a lack of postexamination treatment. GAO observed that some doctors did not perform all of the recommended symptom-specific tests, meaning that veterans may not have received a clear diagnosis. GAO also found that personal counseling of veterans seldom took place. Moreover, form letters sent to veterans at the completion of the registry exam did not always adequately explain test results and diagnoses, leaving veterans frustrated. Doctors had mixed views on the origins of the veterans' symptoms. Some physicians believed that the veterans' problems were only "in their heads," while others displayed more open attitudes toward the veterans' symptoms.
