Military medicine
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Program overview of a novel cognitive training platform at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) for service members with subjective cognitive complaints: analysis of patient participation, satisfaction with the program, and perceived areas of improvement. ⋯ This program model may benefit other military facilities looking to provide and assess novel therapeutic approaches.
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Physical therapy (PT) is a high-volume service that treats musculoskeletal injury and improves return-to-duty rates. Our experience suggests that no-show (NS) and patient cancellation (PC) rates increase the further appointment that is booked in the future, impede access to care, and increase the healthcare delivery costs. The article's purpose is to examine PT National Capitol Region (NCR) appointment data to inform appointment policies. ⋯ At Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, 17% of new appointments were lost when they were booked over 20 days in advance; additionally, NS and PC rates were greatest after 20 days from consultation.
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Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions are commonly seen among military service members (SM) and Veterans. We explored correlates of award of MSK-related service-connected disability benefits (SCDB) among SM seeking care in Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals. ⋯ Although active duty SM with disability separations were more likely to receive MSK-related service-connected disability ratings in the VA, those with normal separations also received such awards. Identifying those at highest risk for MSK-related disability could lead to improved surveillance and prevention strategies in the Department of Defense and VA health care systems to prevent further damage and disability.
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Military aircrews' health status is critical to their mission readiness, as they perform physically and cognitively demanding tasks in nontraditional work environments. Research Objectives: Our objective is to develop a broad operational risk assessment framework and demonstrate its applicability to health risks to aircrews because of airborne chemical exposure, considering stressors such as heat and exertion. ⋯ Efforts to develop operational exposure limits would benefit from guidance on how to make use of existing assessments and expanded databases of the impact of environmental stressors on adult human physiology.
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The purpose of this study was to identify the location of the peroneal tendons in relationship to the fibular groove in an asymptomatic population of elite U.S. Military Service members. ⋯ The study demonstrates that the distance between the peroneal brevis and the lateral fibular ridge is consistent throughout extremes of motion. These results further the understanding of peroneal tendon function under dynamic examination. Our findings also establish side-to-side consistency prompting a bilateral examination to help identify abnormal pathology.