Friday, March 2, 2012

Madigan Army PTSD Medical Center Investigated Over PTSD Diagnosis

Full article at: Did Madigan PTSD team break faith with soldiers? THE NEWS TRIBUNE Published: 02/28/12 9:24 am The Army is investigating the practices of a psychiatric team at Madigan Army Medical Center charged with confirming diagnoses of service-related post-traumatic stress disorder among soldiers . "The question is whether doctors were dispassionately looking at symptoms or trying to save the Pentagon money by minimizing disability claims. Both the commander of Madigan and the leader of the PTSD review team have been temporarily relieved of command. Twelve soldiers who had their PTSD diagnoses reversed at Madigan have since been re-examined by Walter Reed, where doctors concluded that six of them indeed suffered from the disorder. That 50 percent error rate looks bad, to say the least. The Army is now seeking to review the cases of all soldiers who had their PTSD diagnoses thrown out at Madigan in the last four years. For combat veterans, the stakes are big. A severe case of PTSD is a crippling condition; the diagnosis can lead to medical retirement, an immediate pension and a lifetime of medical care."