VA’s Office of Research and Development released findings on cancer care, a robotic wheelchair system, and Parkinson’s disease. A study from Ann Arbor showed that the “Close to Me” program, which offers local outpatient or in-home cancer treatments, saved Veterans nearly $9,000 in travel costs over eight months. The program enrolled 102 Veterans, significantly reducing travel distances and achieving high patient satisfaction with no serious adverse events.

Researchers also developed the Powered Personal Transfer System (PPTS), a robotic system designed to assist wheelchair users in transferring to and from beds. Testing revealed that the system reduced the physical and mental workload for users and caregivers, offering a safer alternative to traditional transfer methods.

In Parkinson’s disease research, a decade-long study demonstrated that deep brain stimulation continues to improve motor function in patients, with significant improvements in tremors noted over ten years. While motor functions showed long-term benefits, non-motor symptoms like cognitive decline progressed during the same period. These findings underscore the effectiveness of deep brain stimulation in managing motor symptoms for Parkinson’s disease patients.