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The US Army Medical Department Email Teleconsultation Program
1Regional Health Command, Central (Provisional) Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
U.S. Army Medical Department Journal
|May 25, 2016
Summary
The US Army established an email teleconsultation program in 2004 for deployed healthcare providers. This program, still active in its 12th year, may become part of a permanent critical care consultation service.
Area of Science:
- Military Medicine
- Telehealth
- Healthcare Informatics
Background:
- The US Army Surgeon General initiated an email-based teleconsultation program in 2004.
- The program was designed to assist healthcare providers deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
- It was initially conceived as a temporary measure pending a more robust system deployment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the establishment and ongoing operation of a military teleconsultation program.
- To discuss the program's potential integration into a permanent critical care consultation service.
Main Methods:
- The study reviews the history and operational status of an email-based teleconsultation system.
- It considers the program's potential future as a component of established medical center services.
Main Results:
- The teleconsultation program commenced in 2004 and entered its 12th year of operation by April 2015.
- The program's long-term future remains undetermined.
- There is a possibility of incorporating the program into an Army Medical Center's critical care consultation services.
Conclusions:
- The email-based teleconsultation program has provided sustained support to deployed military healthcare providers for over a decade.
- The program's potential integration into a permanent critical care consultation program suggests a shift from temporary support to a lasting service model.