• Robert Cornfeld, Nathaniel Cranney, and Elena Rudy.
• Virtual Health Europe, Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, CMR 402, APO AE 09180, Landstuhl, Germany.
• Mil Med. 2020 Aug 14; 185 (7-8): e1214-e1219.

IntroductionVirtual Health (VH) is posited to be a force multiplier for Military Medicine, delivering digital healthcare to the point of need for the warfighter. To date, there are no studies on the impact of both synchronous and asynchronous VH modalities during a deployment. VH usage by the 1st Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment (1/2 CR) during a 6 month deployment to rural Poland was evaluated prospectively to identify mission days saved for Commanders.Materials And MethodsVH Europe staff trained 1/2 CR Garrison and Deployed Medical Staff on VH modalities. Workflows for communication to higher echelons of medical care were developed. Usage of VH was prospectively tracked to identify trends and outcomes.Results213 Soldier Mission Days during a 6 month deployment were saved through the use of VH versus in-person travel for care. The predominance of VH was for synchronous video VH for the Warfighter (VIEW) (90%), followed by asynchronous Health Experts onLine Portal (HELP) consultations (10%). Lost Soldier productivity of $87,330 was avoided.ConclusionOperational VH is a force multiplier that brings the resources of the Medical Center to the Warfighter at the point of need. The full spectrum of VH modalities offers the greatest benefit for deployed units. Expansion of these technologies throughout the Department of Defense will reduce medical evacuations, increase Active Duty Service Member time on mission, and reduce risks for Commanders.© The Association of Military Surgeons of the United States. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

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