US Department of Veterans Affairs continues amassing its data base of research to study how genes affect health. To do this, the Veterans Health Administration Office of Research & Development has instituted the Million Veteran Program: A Partnership with Veterans (MVP).
The goal of the project is to build the world’s largest medical database by collecting blood samples and health information from one million veteran volunteers. According to their website, the data collected from MVP will be stored anonymously for research on diseases like diabetes and cancer, and military-related illnesses, such as post-traumatic stress disorder.
The VA states that, “MVP expects enrollment of one million veterans over the next five to seven years [and] will become one of the largest databases of its kind in the United States.” They underscore that participation is purely voluntary.
Currently there are 40 VA Medical Centers participating in enrollment of veteran volunteers with additional medical centers instituting the program in the future. The VA is adamant that any and all information gathered by them will be encoded and access to the information will be strictly regulated.
Active enrollment in the program includes:
- Filling out surveys about health and health-related behaviors;
- Providing a blood sample (containing DNA and other substances) that will be stored for future research
- Completing an optional health assessment;
- Allowing secure access to VA and VA-linked medical and health information, including past and future health records; and
- Allowing future contact
Processed samples and related data will be stored indefinitely in a biorepository until they are used up or in the event a veteran decides to withdraw from MVP in which case all samples and information gathered from it would be destroyed.
For more information about MVP, visit here. Or call, toll-free, (866) 441-6075.
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