Improving Treatment Access for Havana Syndrome: GAO Report Highlights Communication and Monitoring Gaps in DOD Response
The GAO report titled “HAVANA SYNDROME: Better Patient Communication and Monitoring of Key DOD Tasks Needed to Better Ensure Timely Treatment,” released in July 2024, addresses the challenges faced by U.S. government employees and their families who have experienced anomalous health incidents (AHIs). These incidents, first observed among Department of State staff in Havana, Cuba, in 2016, have affected individuals across various federal agencies both overseas and domestically. Symptoms typically include head pain, tinnitus, vision problems, vertigo, and cognitive difficulties, often following a loud sound.
The report identifies several key issues:
Challenges in Accessing Care: AHI patients reported inconsistent support from their home agencies, limited information upon entering the Military Health System (MHS), and difficulty scheduling appointments. Civilian patients unfamiliar with the MHS needed additional support to navigate the system. The lack of an official communication mechanism from the Department of Defense (DOD) led some patients to rely on informal support groups, which sometimes spread inaccurate information, further complicating their access to timely care.
DOD’s Plan and Its Shortcomings: The DOD developed a plan to address these access issues, including a new approval process for AHI patients and an enhanced AHI Care Coordination Cell to centralize administrative and clinical processes. However, the implementation of these initiatives faced delays, and the plan lacked components for monitoring the progress and effectiveness of these tasks.
Development of the AHI Registry: The DOD created a registry to collect data on AHI patients, as required by law. However, delays in obtaining consent from patients limited the registry’s usefulness. As of May 2024, only 33 out of 334 qualified patients had been entered into the registry. The lack of signed agreements with key agencies further slowed the inclusion of patients, limiting the registry’s effectiveness in supporting research and analysis.
The GAO report makes six recommendations to the DOD, including the development of written guidance for AHI patients, the establishment of an official communication mechanism, the implementation of the AHI care cell, monitoring of these initiatives, and a plan to gather consent from patients who have left the MHS. The DOD concurred with these recommendations, highlighting the need for better communication and monitoring to ensure timely treatment and improve outcomes for AHI patients.