Veterans Affairs Canada is pleased to join with Canadian Family Physician and the College of Family Physicians of Canada to launch a new series—Veteran Health Files. The first article appears in this issue of Canadian Family Physician ( page 1549).
Many family physicians play key roles in the care of military and Royal Canadian Mounted Police Veterans and their families. More than 0.8 million or 1 in 30 Canadian adults self-report military service. World War II and Korean War Veterans account for a quarter of those, and the remainder—about half a million—have served since the Korean War. An increased tempo of Canadian military operations since the first Persian Gulf War in 1990 means that today’s generation of family physicians is encountering more Veterans with health concerns arising from their military service.
The military context is important to Veterans’ health experiences. Many family physicians today have not experienced military life. Growing worldwide interest in the effects of military service on the health of Veterans has led to an explosion of research, making it difficult for family physicians to stay on top of the rapidly emerging information. The Veteran Health Files series will help family physicians understand the military context and inform them of emerging issues in Veteran care.
Topics in Veteran Health Files will cover the big 3 Veteran health issues that recur with every war and consume the majority of resources: musculoskeletal disabilities, mental health problems, and unexplained symptoms. Using fictitious cases derived from clinical experiences, the series will cover the life course of Veterans Affairs Canada’s military clients, from young adults to the elderly. The series will also explain how family physicians work with the department’s multidisciplinary client services teams and medical officers in district offices across the country to help their shared patients and clients access compensation and treatment benefits, as Canada repays its debt to the men and women who serve in our military and Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
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