Updated Review of the Pacific Asynchronous Telehealth System's Impact on Military Pediatric Teleconsultations.

Introduction: The Pacific Asynchronous TeleHealth (PATH) system is an asynchronous provider-to-provider teleconsultation platform utilized by military medical facilities throughout the Western Pacific Region. This study focused on PATH utilization for pediatric cases and its impact on patient transfers and cost avoidance. Methods: This retrospective analysis reviewed PATH cases from March 2017 to February 2020 for patients aged 0-17 years. We reviewed the referring users' responses to survey questions related to the impact of PATH consultation on patient travel for in-person subspecialty care and the need for local referral. Data for cost avoidance were estimated using per diem rates and airline flight costs for Fiscal Year 2020. Results: A total of 2,448 pediatric consultations were submitted from 29 military medical facilities. Pediatric Pulmonology (n = 557, 24.5%), Pediatric Cardiology (n = 446, 19.6%), and Pediatric Neurology (n = 236, 10.37%) had the highest percentage of pediatric teleconsults. Approximately 42% of referring users completed the survey questions. Among survey respondents, 710 (69.4%) indicated that unnecessary patient transfers were prevented, equating to a cost savings of ∼$3.3 million. Conclusions: We observed robust utilization of the PATH system by pediatric providers in the Military Health System that ultimately resulted in substantial cost avoidance. This asynchronous telemedicine platform is a vital asset in locations with limited access or travel restriction to medical specialists, such as during pandemics.

Reduction in Medical Evacuations from Iraq and Syria Following Introduction of an Asynchronous Telehealth System.

INTRODUCTION: While deployed, military medical personnel manage routine medical issues that fall under the category of Disease Non-Battle Injury (DNBI). The 86th Combat Support Hospital (CSH) partnered with Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) Surgeon Cell, and Special Operations Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve (SOJTF-OIR) Surgeon Cell, to introduce the Health Experts onLine Portal (HELP) telemedicine system to medical personnel in Iraq and Syria. HELP is an asynchronous (store and forward) online system that provides secure provider-to-provider teleconsultation services for routine patient care and medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) coordination. The goal was to reduce the need for MEDEVAC by providing expert consultation to medical providers in farther-forward deployed units. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In June 2017, the 86th CSH launched HELP telemedicine services for Kuwait. Following the successful implementation of the telemedicine system in Kuwait, the 86th CSH leadership partnered with CJTF-OIR and SOJTF-OIR medical leadership in launching the system within Iraq and Syria as well as making the system available to all deployed locations in Central Command (CENTCOM). This was a prospective cohort study designed to determine if having convenient and secure access to remote subspecialty consultation would be associated with a reduction in routine MEDEVACs from far forward in the battle space. In August 2017, new-user training was completed and the program launched in Iraq and Syria. This study analyzes the baseline MEDEVAC rate in 3 months before the implementation of HELP telemedicine compared to 3 months following the implementation. RESULTS: Iraq and Syria cases in the HELP telemedicine system accounted for 17.2% (76) of total CENTCOM telemedicine case volume over the 7-month study period. Comparing the 3-month period before and after implementation of HELP, use of asynchronous telemedicine in Iraq and Syria was associated with a reduction in total MEDEVACs from 157 to 68 (56.7% reduction, p < 0.001). DNBI represented the majority of the change, (65.0% reduction, p < 0.001). MEDEVAC for battle-related injuries decreased slightly from 13 to 6 per 3-month period (p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first prospective study to demonstrate an association between the initiation of asynchronous telemedicine capabilities in a combat zone and decreased MEDEVACs. Annualized numbers would predict a reduction of 328 MEDEVACs/year for each 10,000 personnel by utilizing asynchronous telemedicine. This represents a significant potential cost savings of $1.2 million/year through avoidance of routine medical movement of personnel and supports unit readiness by retaining service members in areas of combat operations.

Military Telehealth: A Model For Delivering Expertise To The Point Of Need In Austere And Operational Environments.

Austere clinical environments are those in which limited resources hamper the achievement of optimal patient outcomes. Operational environments are those in which caregivers and resources are at risk for harm. Military and civilian caregivers experience these environments in the context of war, natural disasters, humanitarian assistance missions, and mass casualty events. The military has a particular interest in enhancing local caregiver capabilities within austere and operational environments to improve casualty outcomes when evacuation is delayed or impossible, reduce the cost and the risk of unnecessary evacuations, enhance the medical response during aid missions, and increase combat effectiveness by keeping service members in the fight as long as possible. This article describes military telehealth as it relates to care in austere and operational environments, and it suggests implications for policy, particularly with respect to the current emphasis on telehealth solutions that might not be feasible in those settings.

Telemedical Support for Military Medicine.

Introduction: U.S. military forces have engaged in combat in mature areas of operations (AOs) in Iraq and Afghanistan that allow for casualty evacuation to definitive surgical care within "The Golden Hour." Future combat casualty care will be complex and challenging. Facing the medical demand of the Multi-Domain Battlefield remains an uncertain problem set. What can be anticipated is that a near peer adversary will not allow freedom of movement, air superiority, or uninterrupted communications. Telemedicine is one solution that can aid in this environment because it can reduce the medical footprint in a theater of operation by bringing the remote expert's knowledge and experience to the point of need. Materials and methods: Telemedicine can augment the capabilities of caregivers in austere, operational settings using synchronous or asynchronous technology to optimize the care of casualties who are delayed in evacuation to higher levels of care. These technologies have been implemented and tested over the past 30 yr. We reviewed the historical literature about military telemedicine and assembled current leaders in military telemedicine to write this review. Results: This manuscript reviews the history of and current capabilities of military telemedicine. Conclusions: Broad implementation of telemedicine in the operational setting is challenged by network limitations and cyber security concerns. Reliable, high bandwidth, low latency, secure communications that is necessary for advanced telemedicine capabilities (i.e., procedural telementoring) will not likely be available at all times during future engagements. The military must develop and train a full spectrum of telemedical support options that include low-to-high bandwidth solutions. Telemedicine is not a substitute for deploying anticipated medical resources or optimizing training: telemedicine is plan B where plan A is training, deployment, and casualty evacuation. Nevertheless, when network and communications resources are sufficient, telemedicine brings advanced expertise to austere, resource-limited contexts when timely evacuation is not possible.

Portable spirometry in the deployed setting.

Recent studies suggest an increased risk of respiratory complaints associated with deployment. The objective measurement of lung function provided by portable spirometry is likely to improve the ability of military providers to diagnose and treat lung disease. A portable spirometer was taken to southern Afghanistan on a recent deployment and used at both a level I aid station and a level II medical facility, which were colocated on a forward operating base in the Kandahar Province. In addition to being helpful managing asthma, the spirometer also facilitated identification of nonobstructive causes of dyspnea. The following cases provide proof of concept that portable spirometry can add to the limited armamentarium of military providers practicing in the austere deployment environment.