Americans Believe Wounded Iraq War Veterans Are Not Receiving High Quality Medical Care When They Return to the U.S.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – May 25, 2008 – As part of the ongoing poll series, Debating Health: Election 2008, a recent survey by the Harvard Opinion Research Program at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and Harris Interactive^® finds that a majority of Americans (62%) believe that wounded Iraq war veterans do not receive high quality care in military and Veteran’s Administration (VA) hospitals once they return to the U.S. Similar majorities feel that veterans requiring rehabilitation care and mental health care do not receive high quality care (62% and 65% respectively). This survey follows a number of recent news stories on the quality of health care provided to Iraq war veterans.

Americans who have a close family member who is serving or has served in the military are just as likely as other Americans to say that wounded Iraq veterans do not receive high quality care in military and VA hospitals (64% versus 59%). These Americans with a military connection are slightly more likely to say Iraq veterans do not receive high quality rehabilitation (65% versus 57%) and mental health care (68% versus 61%).

"Providing quality healthcare for our soldiers in harm's way here and abroad is an emotional issue for many Americans," says Humphrey Taylor, Chairman of The Harris Poll^®. "This new research is consistent with research we recently conducted with the American Psychiatric Association that found that citizens of all types and political leanings, service men and women, and their families alike do not believe veterans are able to access and receive the best mental healthcare possible here in the United States."

The quality of medical care that wounded soldiers receive on the frontlines in Iraq has gotten more favorable news coverage than the care that war veterans receive in the U.S. Many reports have noted that wounded soldiers who would not have survived their injuries in previous wars are surviving today due to the high quality medical care they receive in Iraq. Although more Americans feel that wounded soldiers get high quality care on the front lines in Iraq (47%) than they do in military hospitals once they return to the U.S. (31%), a nearly equal percentage (43%) feel they do not get high quality care on the front lines. Ten percent said they do not know.

A majority (60%) of Americans feel that the health care wounded Iraq war veterans receive in military and VA hospitals is better (10%) or the same (50%) compared to other major U.S. hospitals. Just over one-third (36%) feel the care is worse. Americans with a family member who is serving or has served in the military have a somewhat more negative opinion of military and VA hospitals (41% believe care is worse compared to 29% of other Americans).

Compared to both remaining Democratic presidential candidates, more Americans feel that Republican candidate John McCain will make sure that veterans returning from Iraq receive high quality health services. Forty-six percent say McCain would be more likely to do this while 37% say Democrat Hillary Clinton would. Against Democrat Barack Obama, 53% say McCain would make sure veterans receive quality care while 35% say Obama would. Political independents, a key swing group in the election, are also more likely to believe McCain would make sure veterans receive quality care than either Democratic candidate (McCain 46% vs Clinton 33%; McCain 55% vs Obama 29%).

"The high level of dissatisfaction with the health care services provided to Iraq veterans could become a significant issue in the presidential election," says Robert J. Blendon, Professor of Health Policy and Political Analysis at the Harvard School of Public Health. "This issue could be particularly significant for voters who have a family connection to the military."

"Recently there has been some discussion in the news about the medical care provided to soldiers who have served in Iraq. We’d like to get your opinions about that care. How about the care they receive in military and Veteran’s Administration hospitals once they return to the U.S.? Do you think wounded or injured Iraq war veterans generally get high quality care for their injuries or do you think they generally do not get high quality care?"

Base: 1007 Adults

"Now think about soldiers who require longer term care or rehabilitation after they leave the hospital. Do you think they generally get high quality rehabilitation care or do you think they generally do not get high quality rehabilitation care?"

Base: 1007 Adults

"Some soldiers develop severe mental health problems as a result of their experiences in Iraq. Do you think they generally get high quality mental health care or do you think they generally do not get high quality mental health care?"

Base: 1007 Adults

"Thinking about the medical care that wounded or injured American soldiers receive on the front lines in Iraq, do you think they generally get high quality care for their injuries or do you think they generally do not get high quality care?"

Base: 1007 Adults

"Do you think in general the health care these returning Iraq war veterans receive in military and Veteran’s Administration hospitals is better than, worse than, or about the same as the health care they would receive at other major U.S. hospitals?"

Base: 1007 Adults

"Which presidential candidate do you believe would be more likely to make sure veterans returning from Iraq get high quality health care services: Hillary Clinton or John McCain?"

Base: 1007 Adults

"Which presidential candidate do you believe would be more likely to make sure veterans returning from Iraq get high quality health care services: Barack Obama or John McCain?"

Base: 1007 Adults

This survey is part of the series, Debating Health: Election 2008. The series focuses on current health issues in the presidential campaign. The survey design team includes Professor Robert Blendon, Tami Buhr, John Benson and Kathleen Weldon of the Harvard School of Public Health; and Humphrey Taylor, Scott Hawkins and Justin Greeves of Harris Interactive.

This survey was conducted by telephone within the United States among a nationwide cross section of adults aged 18 and over. The survey was conducted April 30 through May 4, 2008 among a representative sample of 1007 respondents. Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region, number of adults in the household, size of place (urbanicity) and number of phone lines in the household were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population.

All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore, Harris Interactive avoids the words "margin of error" as they are misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100 percent response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.

Harvard School of Public Health is dedicated to advancing the public's health through learning, discovery, and communication. More than 400 faculty members are engaged in teaching and training the 1,000-plus student body in a broad spectrum of disciplines crucial to the health and well being of individuals and populations around the world. Programs and projects range from the molecular biology of AIDS vaccines to the epidemiology of cancer; from risk analysis to violence prevention; from maternal and children's health to quality of care measurement; from health care management to international health and human rights. For more information on the school visit: www.hsph.harvard.edu.

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Tracey McNerney
Harris Interactive
585-214-7756

Robin Herman
Harvard School of Public Health
rherman@hsph.harvard.edu
617-432-4752