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 Improving Veterans’ Lives -o- www.research.va.gov 
 
 DISCOVERY -o- I N N 0 VATI 0 N ADVANCEMENT 
 
MVP Program Purpose 
 
 The Department of Veterans Affairs’ Million Veteran 
 Program (MVP) is a national, voluntary research 
 program designed to provide a better understanding 
 of how genes affect health and illness, with the goal 
 of improving health care for Veterans. Participation 
 in MVP is entirely voluntary and will not in any way 
 affect Veterans’ access to health care or benefits. 
 
 What are genes, and how do 
 they affect health? 
 
 Genes are made up of DNA and are inherited. They 
 are the instructions tor building and maintaining our 
 bodies. Genes determine the color of our eyes and hair, 
 our height, and other personal traits. Through complex 
 interactions with our environment and various lifestyle 
 factors, certain genes may also contribute to our risk 
 for disease, including common illnesses such as heart 
 disease, diabetes, and cancer. In fact, genes may be 
 a critical part of why some people get diseases and 
 others do not. 
 
 Genes may also affect how we respond to certain 
 medications. Because of their genetic make-up, 
 some people may respond better than others to a 
 particular treatment, or experience different side effects. 
 Overall, a better understanding of how genes work may 
 help to prevent and improve treatment of disease. 
 
 MVP is a research program that 
 could allow current Veterans to 
 help transform health care, not 
 only for themselves, but for future 
 generations of Veterans. 
 
What is MVP? 
 
 The Million Veteran Program aims to be one of the largest 
 studies of genes and health in the United States with an 
 expected enrollment of one million Veterans over the next 
 five to seven years. The Department of Veterans Affairs has 
 established MVP as an important opportunity to understand 
 how genes affect health. The ultimate goal is improving 
 Veterans’ health. An increasingly common way to gain 
 knowledge in this area is to collect genetic samples and 
 health information from large groups of people, and then 
 to conduct comparisons to learn which genes are linked to 
 which health traits. 
 
 What is involved in participation? 
 
 The goal of MVP is to partner with Veterans 
 receiving services in the VA health care system 
 who volunteer to share their health information, 
 as well as genetic material. Active involvement in 
 this program includes: 
 
 • Filling out surveys about health and health-related 
 behaviors; 
 
 • Providing a blood sample (containing DNA) that will 
 be stored for future research; and, 
 
 • Completing an optional health assessment. 
 
 By consenting to participate, you are allowing secure 
 access to your VA and VA-linked medical information on 
 an ongoing basis. You are also allowing for future contact. 
 
 What are the potential benefits? 
 
 Research findings based on MVP may potentially lead to 
 new ways of preventing and treating illnesses in Veterans 
 and all Americans and help to answer questions like "Why 
 does a treatment work well for some Veterans but not for 
 others?”; “Why are some Veterans at a greater risk for 
 developing an illness?”; and “Flow can we prevent certain 
 illnesses in the first place?” While your participation may 
 not immediately benefit you, findings from MVP over time 
 will benefit all Veterans and the population at large. 
 
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 Are there an\ 3 ‘’oai “no easst 3 
 
 participating? 
 
 • The risks of a blood draw include pain, bleeding, 
 bruising, or infection. If you are injured as a result of 
 having blood drawn, VA will provide medical treatment 
 for your research-related injury at no cost to you. 
 
 • Filling out the questionnaire may result in distress if 
 you are to find out about family health conditions of 
 which you may not have been aware. If you become 
 distressed or have questions, please call the MVP 
 information center at 866-441 -6075. 
 
 • There is a slight risk of a breach of confidentiality. The 
 next section describes how VA will minimize this risk. 
 
 What confidentiality and privacy 
 protections are in place? 
 
 Patient safety and information security are the top 
 priorities in MVP and all VA research initiatives. A 
 
 number of safeguards are in place to help ensure privacy 
 and confidentiality for those who take part. 
 
 All blood samples will be stored in a secure, 
 state-of-the art VA biorepository. ^ 
 
 All blood samples and me$pal and other personal 
 
 information wiIl v b$‘labeled with a code so that no one 
 
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 a small number 
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 esearfhers w.bo are approved access to analyze 
 
 sample&andTIafa'will not receive 
 
 ;cess t( 
 name, 
 
 \ 
 
 date of birth, 
 
 address, or social .seetrrTfy nu,^T|of participating 
 
 Contact Information: 
 
 For more information about MVP, visit 
 
 www.research.va.gov/mvp or call toll free 
 866-441 -6075. 
 
 If you have questions about your rights as a program 
 participant, or you want to make sure this is an approved 
 VA project, you may contact the VA Central Institutional 
 Review Board (IRB) toll-free at 877-254-3130.