Military medicine
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Prognosis is a forecast of the likely course of a disease and its future implications on treatment outcomes. The significance of periodontal prognosis in clinical practice is evident by its influence on treatment planning, communication, and in the retrospective evaluation of treatment results. While there are multiple well-known prognosis systems reported in the periodontal dental literature, there is an absence of data on the actual use of prognosis assignment among practicing clinicians. The purpose of this study was to survey military periodontists regarding their utilization of periodontal prognosis and associated systems and to evaluate prognosis' influence on treatment planning as well as its implications on operational dental readiness. ⋯ Kwok and Caton and McGuire periodontal prognosis systems were utilized by the majority of respondents but differed in utilization by military service branch. Respondents considered periodontal presentation severity and treatment outcome predictability the most important factors when assigning a prognosis. There was minimal influence between operational dental readiness and periodontal prognosis. Future research will evaluate prognosis system utilization in a broader population and will assess the impact of system standardization in education and clinical practice.
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Upper Extremity musculoskeletal injuries (UE MSKIs) represent a major threat to the overall health and readiness of U.S. active duty service members (U.S. ADSMs). However, a lack of prior research and inconsistent study and surveillance methodology has limited Department of Defense (DoD) leaders from assessing and addressing the burden of these conditions. The purpose of this study was to report the incidence, prevalence, and types of UE MSKIs sustained by ADSMs across four branches of service and describe associated health care utilization and private sector costs. ⋯ Among U.S. ADSMs, UE MSKIs are both highly prevalent and financially burdensome. We observed variation across the Services in the prevalence and incidence of UE MSKIs, and their respective reliance on the private sector for management of these conditions. Findings from this work may support military leaders and MSKI researchers who seek to reduce the impact of UE MSKIs on the readiness and overall health of the U.S. Military.
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Musculoskeletal injuries (MSKIs) represent the most common, costly, and impactful medical conditions affecting active duty service members (ADSMs) of the United States Armed Forces. Inconsistent, variable MSKI surveillance methods and often incompletely described criteria for cohort selection, injuries, incidence, and prevalence have limited efforts to observe longitudinal trends, identify gaps in care, or highlight specific military branches or sites that could benefit from enhanced MSKI intervention protocols. The purpose of this manuscript is to present a comprehensive, well-documented, and reproducible framework for capturing and categorizing MSKI burden, healthcare utilization, and private sector costs for ADSMs across a 12-year period spanning the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification transition. ⋯ MSKI surveillance research in ADSMs has been impacted by variable, often incompletely described methods. While our approach is not without limitations, our aim was to present a well-documented, reproducible methodology for MSKI investigation in military personnel. By presenting a comprehensive blueprint for capturing and categorizing MSKI care in U.S. service members, our goal is for this methodology to enhance the efforts of researchers, public health officials, and Military Health System leaders to combat MSKIs, the primary medical threat to military readiness.
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Lower Extremity musculoskeletal injuries (LE MSKIs) represent a significant portion of overuse injuries in active duty service members (ADSMs). However, variations in study methods and research gaps related to LE MSKIs have prevented Department of Defense (DoD) leaders from assessing the burden of these conditions. The purpose of this study was to report the incidence, prevalence, and types of LE MSKIs sustained by ADSMs across four branches of service and describe associated health care utilization and private sector costs. ⋯ Among U.S. ADSMs, LE MSKIs remain highly prevalent and costly. We observed disparities across the Services in the prevalence and incidence of LE MSKIs, and their respective reliance on the private sector for management of these conditions. Findings from this work may support military leaders and MSKI researchers who seek to reduce the impact of LE MSKIs on the readiness and overall health of the U.S. Military.
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Active duty service members (ADSMs) of the U.S. Armed Forces are uniquely at risk for musculoskeletal injuries (MSKIs) of the Head/Neck region, including the eye and face, from training with head gear, donning Kevlar, operating aircraft, and maintaining sitting or standing postures for prolonged durations. The purposes of this descriptive study were to report the prevalence/incidence, health care utilization, and health care costs attributable to Head/Neck MSKIs across the Services from fiscal years (FYs) 2016 to 2021. ⋯ This retrospective, descriptive study established prevalence/incidence, health care utilization, and PC costs for Head/Neck MSKIs across the services from FY16-21, emphasizing the burden of Head/Neck MSKIs among the U.S. Armed Forces, with PC costs amounting to $42,912,940 in FY21 alone.