Prototyping Apps for the Management of Sleep, Fatigue, and Behavioral Health in Austere Far-Forward Environments:...

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Military Medicine
• Behavioral Health Technology

Background:

• Military occupations involve high stress, impacting sleep, fatigue, and behavioral health.
• Existing platforms lack centralized mobile health support for sleep and behavioral health in operational environments.
• There is a need for accessible tools for monitoring and managing these issues during deployments and training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To adapt an existing clinical decision support platform for mobile use by soldiers and medics.
• To enable self- and supervised monitoring and management of sleep and behavioral health in operational settings.
• To address the unique challenges of military environments, including limited connectivity.

Main Methods:

• Gathered expert requirements for a sleep and behavioral health management system.
• Adapted digital health assessments and evidence-based educational/interventional modules.
• Developed connectivity protocols for offline use and tested Android apps in garrison and field exercises.

Main Results:

• Two Android apps (Soldier and Medic) were developed for self-monitoring and medic supervision.
• 246 soldiers and 28 medics were trained; apps functioned as expected during field exercises with limited connectivity.
• Identified areas for future technological enhancement.

Conclusions:

• Demonstrated feasibility of adapting a clinical decision support platform into mobile apps for sleep and behavioral health data management.
• The AIRE prototype provides a novel tool for monitoring and intervention in remote or high-tempo occupations.
• AIRE supports self-management and supervised care where medical expertise is limited.