Agent Orange: the effect of the herbicide on peripheral neuropathy, and assessing the adequacy of Veterans Affairs’ presumptive healthcare policy for the condition with the input of physical therapists and physical therapy assistants
Location
Sydnor Performance Hall, Schewel Hall
Access Type
Open Access
Presentation Type
Oral presentation
Entry Number
69
Start Date
4-16-2026 10:15 AM
End Date
4-16-2026 10:30 AM
School
School of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Department
Biology
Keywords
physical therapy, Agent Orange, neuropathy, policy, Veterans Affairs, Vietnam war, United States, rehabilitation, survey, barrier
Abstract
Agent Orange exposure has prolonged the suffering of Vietnam War veterans to this day. Further research has been conducted to discover different medical conditions that have a possible linkage to Agent Orange. It was detected that one of them is peripheral neuropathy, however to qualify as a “presumptive condition” and gain benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the disease must be at least 10% disabling within one year of exposure to Agent Orange. If the presumptive condition claim is approved, veterans will gain benefits, one being physical therapy. However, if the direct service connection route is to be taken instead when the veteran does not fall under the policy, there may be a substantial delay in care. This puts the patient at risk for worsening their condition. It is important to treat neuropathy early to avoid exacerbation of symptoms. The restricted policy is a possible barrier to care, as veterans who suffer from neuropathy but are outside of these requirements may face delays in receiving benefits from their claim. This study intends to analyze the effects of the VA presumptive condition policy for peripheral neuropathy as a potential barrier of patient care and optimal job performance in physical therapy clinics through surveying physical therapists (PT) and physical therapy assistants (PTA). Results and discussions are still being collected and research will be updated with these findings in the upcoming month.
Primary Faculty Mentor(s)
Dr. Wendy Williamson
Primary Faculty Mentor(s) Department
Department of Biology
Additional Faculty Mentor(s)
Dr. Allison Jablonski Dr. Price Blair
Rights Statement
The right to download or print any portion of this material is granted by the copyright owner only for personal or educational use. The author/creator retains all proprietary rights, including copyright ownership. Any editing, other reproduction or other use of this material by any means requires the express written permission of the copyright owner. Except as provided above, or for any other use that is allowed by fair use (Title 17, §107 U.S.C.), you may not reproduce, republish, post, transmit or distribute any material from this web site in any physical or digital form without the permission of the copyright owner of the material.
Agent Orange: the effect of the herbicide on peripheral neuropathy, and assessing the adequacy of Veterans Affairs’ presumptive healthcare policy for the condition with the input of physical therapists and physical therapy assistants
Sydnor Performance Hall, Schewel Hall
Agent Orange exposure has prolonged the suffering of Vietnam War veterans to this day. Further research has been conducted to discover different medical conditions that have a possible linkage to Agent Orange. It was detected that one of them is peripheral neuropathy, however to qualify as a “presumptive condition” and gain benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the disease must be at least 10% disabling within one year of exposure to Agent Orange. If the presumptive condition claim is approved, veterans will gain benefits, one being physical therapy. However, if the direct service connection route is to be taken instead when the veteran does not fall under the policy, there may be a substantial delay in care. This puts the patient at risk for worsening their condition. It is important to treat neuropathy early to avoid exacerbation of symptoms. The restricted policy is a possible barrier to care, as veterans who suffer from neuropathy but are outside of these requirements may face delays in receiving benefits from their claim. This study intends to analyze the effects of the VA presumptive condition policy for peripheral neuropathy as a potential barrier of patient care and optimal job performance in physical therapy clinics through surveying physical therapists (PT) and physical therapy assistants (PTA). Results and discussions are still being collected and research will be updated with these findings in the upcoming month.