A Comprehensive Review of the ADvanced VIrtual Support for OpeRational Forces (ADVISOR) Program: Use and User...

The ADvanced VIrtual Support for OpeRational Forces (ADVISOR) program was established to provide 24/7 teleconsultation to resource-limited locations where the U.S. military is engaged in casualty care in austere and operational environments. ADVISOR provides remote expert guidance to local caregivers in any environment to ensure casualties receive the best care feasible. To understand the broader impact of ADVISOR and areas to improve this capability, we undertook a holistic approach to assessing both real-world and training calls to ADVISOR to produce a qualitative analysis of survey data to refine and better delineate the capability requirements for telemedicine support of the military's forward-deployed teams.

A retrospective analysis was performed utilizing the comprehensive collection of the Operational Virtual Health Reports and Operational Virtual Health Evaluation data between June 2017 and December 31, 2022. Data were analyzed and grouped by patient demographics, case description, consultant recommendations, outcomes (if known), and date of call. Calls were further categorized by specialty. Narrative information on the patient history and case was analyzed to determine specific diagnoses and questions from the local caregiver. Calls with unknown purpose, and calls for inquiry/information about the system only were excluded from this study.

Between 2017 and 2022 1,719 calls were made to ADVISOR, of which 568 were real-world calls and 904 were training calls. Of the real-world calls, only 171 had completed remote expert reports (30.1%), of which 39.2% were infectious disease calls, 15.2% were veterinary calls, 11.7% were critical care calls, and 12.3% were orthopedic calls. Of the 171 real-world calls to the ADVISOR line that had remote expert report feedback, only 10 calls had local caregiver evaluation feedback.Five patients were reported as having been transferred and 18 were reported as having been evacuated with 7 reported as being redeployed. Twenty-five remote experts reported that they were able to help the local caregiver avoid evacuating the patient entirely, and nine remote experts reported MEDEVACs were downgraded. Sixty-six casualties lived and 3 died.Of the local caregivers who filled out the evaluation, all gave above-average or exceptional ratings for accessing the system, their overall experience with the remote expert, the remote expert's recommendations, and their ability to implement the recommendations. All local caregivers also stated the recommendations were appropriate to their level of training and they would use the ADVISOR system again.

This study informs the need to better understand the role of telehealth in order to extend these capabilities and could be used to inform future pre-deployment training for providers. The value of telemedicine is underappreciated in the military and future refinement of the capabilities could allow for improved outcomes. Documentation of care remains critical to continue to learn and remains an additional opportunity for improvement. Additionally, the DoD should codify ADVISOR to ensure this critical asset is maintained and funded for future needs on and off the battlefield.