Home/community monitoring using telephonic follow-up

Area of Science:

• Military medicine
• Neurology
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Service members in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) may sustain complex injuries, including traumatic brain injury (TBI) and polytrauma.
• These combat-related injuries can differ significantly from those incurred during peacetime.
• Invisible wounds such as TBI, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and major depression pose significant health risks to deployed service members and veterans.

Purpose of the Study:

• To expand on lessons learned from monitoring peacetime injuries.
• To apply these lessons to the home-based monitoring of newly injured war veterans.
• To emphasize the importance of telephonic follow-up for veterans experiencing "invisible wounds of war".

Main Methods:

• Utilizing routine telephonic follow-up for monitoring veterans in a home setting.
• Leveraging experience from monitoring peacetime injuries.
• Focusing on the identification and management of TBI, PTSD, and depression.

Main Results:

• The study highlights the complexity of polytrauma in combat veterans.
• It underscores the potential for co-occurring conditions like PTSD and depression.
• The importance of home-based monitoring for these "invisible wounds" is emphasized.

Conclusions:

• Effective home and community-based monitoring by nurses and case managers is crucial for the recovery of veterans with TBI and associated conditions.
• Telephonic follow-up is a viable method for monitoring these complex injuries.
• Addressing "invisible wounds of war" is essential for the well-being of veterans returning from OEF/OIF.