Military medicine
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This paper is a brief description of the impact that the SARS-CoV-2 global pandemic has had on both mental health and U. S. Navy policies through the narrative of a deployed enlisted sailor, medically evacuated from Japan. ⋯ We believe that the sailor presented introduces a discussion about the impacts of heightened restrictions on some personality types. As the pandemic has continued to impact and reshape every facet of force health protection, we believe that understanding the impact of public health orders on individuals with specific personality disorders or traits will help us provide care and leadership counsel going forward. The discussion within our case report provides insight and an opportunity for healthcare providers to reflect.
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Interchangeability-i.e., the capacity to change places with another-is necessary for military interprofessional health care teams (MIHTs) to provide around-the-clock patient care. However, while interchangeability is clearly a necessity for modern health care delivery, it raises uncomfortable questions for civilian health care teams where it is usually labeled as unsafe. This perception surfaces because interchangeability runs counter to some of health care's cultural beliefs including those around patient ownership and professional scopes of practice. It is, therefore, not surprising that little is known about whether and how some level of interchangeability can be harnessed to improve the productivity of health care teams overall. In this article, we explore the notion of interchangeability in the particular context of MIHTs given that these health care teams are familiar with it. This exploration will offer insights into how interchangeability could maximize civilian health care teams' capacity to adapt. ⋯ Interchangeability can be understood through the theoretical lens of Swarm Intelligence and more specifically, the principle of collective self-healing-which is the ability of collectives to continue to successfully perform despite disruption, challenges, or the loss of a team member. Our findings highlight how MIHTs have adopted interchangeability in a wide array of contexts to realize collective self-healing. Despite the discomfort it provokes, we suggest that interchangeability could be a powerful asset to civilian health care teams.
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Review
Military Interprofessional Healthcare Teams: Identifying the Characteristics That Support Success.
Military interprofessional healthcare teams (MIHTs) are foundational to the care provided to military members and their families. However, to date, very little research has investigated MIHTs. Notably, we have few insights into what distinguishes successful MIHTs. ⋯ We provide an overview of the USU-supported research and of the findings that were generated by that inquiry. After summarizing the manuscripts included in this special edition of Military Medicine, we close by acknowledging and thanking key members of the U. S. military healthcare system who supported this research.
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The importance of successful interprofessional collaboration for effective patient care is generally acknowledged. Research into interprofessional collaboration has thus far been mainly situated in the civilian context and has mostly indicated barriers that prevent successful interprofessional collaboration. However, military interprofessional healthcare teams (MIHTs) seem to be exceptionally successful. ⋯ Fostered through a process called "identification," professionals learn to see how their professional practice aligns with that of others and how to effectively collaborate with others. The commentary explains how the findings of the separate studies within this special edition strongly resonate with knowledgeability and identification. It is concluded that civilian interprofessional healthcare teams may benefit from incorporating characteristics of MIHTs in their training programs.
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Multiple aspects of interpersonal dynamics can help or hinder the success of teams, particularly those in a Military Interprofessional Healthcare Team (MIHT). One specific mechanism for MIHTs' success is camaraderie and how these military teams are able to achieve, maintain, and enable the development of this important characteristic. Despite our understanding of military service members as being bonded like a family, we have a limited understanding of how this bond is translated into their MIHT experiences. ⋯ Through the identification and exploration of these aspects of camaraderie, we are able to better understand how MIHTs are able to be successful. MIHTs that demonstrated confidence in their brother/sister in arms possessed shared goals and missions, while maintaining mutual respect, a desire to help one another do better, and creating a personal and professional overlap tended to form stronger bonds of military service. Critically, these six aspects support a more nuanced understanding of the spirit of camaraderie and how it underpins MIHT success.