Military medicine
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Research and development of military-required innovations are usually funded through the issuance of grants and contracts. The limitations of these funding methods are the a priori specifications and objectives that limit creativity and often do not produce capabilities beyond the desired outcomes or leverage the best ideas and solutions available. This limited engagement of commercial industry to develop military-required innovations usually relies solely on government funding and receipt of proposals from companies whose business model is built on receiving government grants and contracts, with the government owning most of the risks. ⋯ This often under-utilized pathway has several notable strengths such as (1) reduced risks and costs for the military to develop novel capabilities and products; (2) new and novel creative solutions to solve military problems; (3) utilizing a results-oriented approach that funds the successful achievement of acceptance criteria versus funding of potential to achieve; (4) enticing investors by increased competition for a successful product or capability; and (5) delivery of a commercially available, affordable, field-tested, and viable capabilities and products. Prize competitions may be used by any/all federal agencies as authorized by Congressional Public Laws and Federal regulations. The specifics of this pathway for funding pathway and applications for use by medical researchers, developers, and project/program managers are spelled out in the article, along with the regulatory guidance and resources for finding out more about current and past prize competitions.
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The ability to collect data on posttraumatic reactions following military sexual trauma is impacted by data collection methods, such that under-reporting can occur when data are believed to be identifiable. This may be especially true for topics that are sensitive, including sexual trauma. Ensuring participation from service members using non-identifiable methods is challenging when service history cannot be confirmed. The COVID-19 pandemic complicated data collection due to contact and social distancing requirements and limitations. To attempt to overcome these challenges, this study utilized an anonymous survey delivered by Qualtrics, Inc. with military validation checks that served as a screening mechanism. The purpose of the current report is to describe the development and use of military validation questions to recruit a sample of military sexual assault survivors using an anonymous survey. ⋯ Use of Qualtrics, Inc. to incorporate validation checks helped us to be more reasonably confident that we were collecting data from military service members who reported military sexual assault. While the probability of a person without current or past military service passing the validation checks was low, it was not impossible. An unanticipated benefit of this platform was the short duration of time it took to complete data collection; the sample was collected within about 6 weeks. This platform may be a good option for investigators who cannot collect face-to-face data.
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Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), depression, and PTSD are highly prevalent in post-9/11 veterans. With the comorbidity of depression and PTSD in post-9/11 veterans with mTBI histories and their role in exacerbating cognitive and emotional dysfunction, interventions addressing cognitive and psychiatric functioning are critical. Compensatory Cognitive Training (CCT) is associated with improvements in prospective memory, attention, and executive functioning and has also yielded small-to-medium treatment effects on PTSD and depressive symptom severity. We sought to examine neuropsychological correlates of PTSD and depressive symptom improvement in veterans with a history of mTBI who received CCT. ⋯ Worse baseline performances on tests of processing speed and aspects of executive functioning were significantly associated with improvements in PTSD and depressive symptoms during the trial. Our results suggest that cognitive training may bolster skills that are helpful for PTSD and depressive symptom reduction and that those with worse baseline functioning may benefit more from treatment because they have more room to improve.
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As an Army health care provider for nearly 40 years and former acting Surgeon General of the Army, I know well the critical needs to ensure troop medical readiness and to respond to changing environments. We must use all the tools available to promote the health and well-being of our military personnel. There is one tool we have yet to deploy which I believe we should. Incorporating nasal decolonization strategies in congregant settings using alcohol-based antiseptics, just as several military hospitals have done, is a cost-effective and clinically-proven solution to help mitigate the risk of infections.
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The Air Force International Health Specialist program provides expert medical and public health support to enhance global health engagement efforts. National Guardsmen possess unique civilian health care expertise to support global health engagement. The DoD must increase support for Air National Guard International Health Specialist involvement, including training and development opportunities.