b'A D V A N C I N G I N N O V A T I O N S I N H E A L T H C A R E P O L I C Y Q:PTSD seems to be resistant to conventional treatmentsoffered by the VAat least for many veterans. What do you think has been missing?A:The biggest limitation of evidence-based care for mental health conditions like PTSD is theassumption that different people respond the same way to treatment. Nothing could be further from the truth. A miracle medicine for one person may send the next person to the emergency room. There is no one-size-fits-all treatment for PTSD. The current treatment model leaves one-third to one-half of veterans with poor results and chronic PTSD symptoms. Whats currently missing is the ability to personalize treatment approaches based on the veteran.Q:You are the principal investigator for a Phase 3clinicaltrial on TM and PTSD. What are you looking for?A:The purpose of a Phase 3 trial is to test a promising treatment on a larger scale, witha broader population and over a longer timeframe. This is what were planning with our Phase 3 PTSD study. Phase 3 studies like thisbecause of their larger samples and improved designalso have a greater influence on treatment policy decisions. We are looking for evidence that can help scientists, clinicians, and policy makers evaluate the merits of TM as a primary treatment option for veterans with PTSD.Q:If you find significant benefits from your research,do you think TM should be included in veterans health insurance policies?A: f TM proves to be superior to the psychotherapy treatment in our trial, I expect that the Iresults will affect future VA PTSD treatment guidelines and initiate discussions among VA leadership about how to potentially improve veterans access to TM. This is not a simple process. However, VA leadership recognizes that our current PTSD treatment options do not fully meet the needs of veterans, and studies like our Phase 3 trial can provide quality scientific data necessary to guide future improvements.51'