Implementation of Deployment Readiness Training for Gynecologic Care

Gynecologic care remains a critical but under-addressed component of deployed readiness. Despite the growing number of deployed female service members and the prevalence of reproductive health issues in theater, hospital corpsman receive little to no formal training in women's health topics. This study aimed to develop and implement a brief, reproducible training intervention to improve corpsman knowledge of common gynecologic concerns encountered during deployment.

A 30-minute educational presentation and 15-question assessment were developed by OB/GYN faculty and validated by subject-matter experts (SMEs) with deployment experience. The training covered contraception, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), menstrual suppression, and basic gynecologic triage. The study followed a Plan-Do-Study-Act quality improvement framework and was implemented over 5 sessions with pre- and post-training assessments.

Thirty-three Active-Duty Corpsmen participated. The average pre-test score was 9/15 (60%), and the post-test average was 13/15 (87%), a statistically significant improvement (t(32)=17.2, P<.001). The most significant gains were seen in knowledge related to emergency contraception, STI management, and menstrual suppression-topics frequently involved in deployment medical evacuations. Subject-matter experts also confirmed the content was relevant and appropriate for the target audience.

A brief, targeted training significantly improved hospital corpsmen knowledge of key women's health topics. This intervention addresses a documented gap in pre-deployment preparation and supports the readiness and health of deployed female service members. The program is low-resource, scalable, and suitable for integration into existing military education platforms.