Tools for your practice: VETERAN lens autofill template
When a veteran is first transitioned to civilian life, they are entitled to a Veteran Health Check, this outlines all the important occupational factors that can impact on health.
Once the veteran is no longer eligible for the Veteran Health Check, the GP must find another way to recall the important service details that may impact on the veterans health, and that of their family.
This impact may occur many years after the initial transition, so exploring these factors is important over time.
What aspects of the Veteran Health Check do we want to incorporate into all relevant consultations with Veterans at any time after transition?
Those represented in the VETERANS lens. This lens can be utilised in consultation with veterans, and their family members, to enable the GP to understand the social, environmental and employment context of the veteran. This understanding can then be extended to the types of physical and mental health conditions the GP will be considering based on the impact of potential occupational exposures and career experiences.
The VETERANS Lens
Ensuring you have explored all the relevant aspects of a Veteran history and context can benefit from a brief guide. To enable easier recall of the VETERANS Lens topics, you can utilise the VETERAN lens autofill template represented below. For further outline on the context, see more here.
Autofill template:
(Copy this information into your system to use as an autofill function)
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Previous Issue / Plans / Referrals: Exposure: ears, eyes and other occupational Transition: Emotional History: mental health, wellbeing, connectedness Review usual medical care including sexual health: Alcohol and substance use: Navigating the system: Supports social and resources: Summary: Problems / Impressions / Issues Recommendations / Management Plans Referrals / Follow Up Plans |
Catherine is a GP in Geelong, Victoria. She has been involved in a wide variety of Medical Education opportunities, these include GP training, lecturing in Medicine at Deakin University, and providing clinical consultancy for the Deakin Indigenous Health team. Over recent years Catherine has moved into planning and facilitating the professional development of Medical Educators and GP Supervisors as well as learning (like everyone else) to do all of this online. Catherine strives to ensure her education events are engaging and innovative, with a dose of appropriate fun.
Dr Catherine Eltringham
This article equips GPs with practical strategies to recognise and assess suicide risk in Australian veterans. It outlines tools to support your consultation and assessment, and highlights referral pathways such as Open Arms – Veterans and Families Counselling and DVA services to support early intervention and save lives in general practice.
Dr Catherine Eltringham
Almost 90% of veterans report suffering from pain on transitioning out of military service and service-related injuries are often implicated. Open Arms and DVA have developed resources to support them and guide your care. Management includes education, non-medical interventions, allied health support, and selective medical treatments. Addressing mental health is crucial.
Dr Catherine Eltringham
As veterans transition from military service, they often face significant mental health challenges, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and adjustment difficulties. Managing these complex conditions requires a holistic, long-term approach, and general practitioners (GPs) are in a unique position to support veterans not only through referrals to mental health specialists but also through evidence-based lifestyle interventions that promote resilience and recovery.