Articles: pandemics.
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The use of electronic health (eHealth) tools has the potential to support the overall health, wellness, fitness status, and ability to deploy worldwide of active duty service members (SMs). Additionally, the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic forced healthcare organizations to quickly convert to virtual care settings to decrease face-to-face interactions and increase access to healthcare using technology. The shift to virtual care and the push to increase use of eHealth tools heightened the need to understand how military members interact with eHealth tools. Little is known about the factors that influence SMs use of eHealth tools and if having a health condition increases or decreases use. To evaluate these factors, we completed a cross-sectional, retrospective analysis on a sample of 198,388 active duty SMs aged 18 to 68 years. ⋯ Our findings support top military initiatives to improve the overall health, wellness, and readiness of SMs while decreasing the MHS's overall cost of care while providing a foundation to compare "pre" and "post" pandemic eHealth behaviors. It is essential to note that SMs are more likely to use a patient portal to seek information or manage family member health. This key factor identifies the significance of family health promotion and readiness in the active duty SM's life. The long-term goal of our study is to build the foundation for delivering tailored health information and eHealth tools to promote health and readiness-centric patient engagement.
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COVID-19 is known to have altered the capacity to perform surgical procedures in numerous health care settings. The impact of this change within the direct and private-sector settings of the Military Health System has not been effectively explored, particularly as it pertains to disparities in surgical access and shifting of services between sectors. We sought to characterize how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced access to care for surgical procedures within the direct and private-sector settings of the Military Health System. ⋯ We found a similar performance of elective and urgent surgeries in both the private sector and direct care during the first 6 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Importantly, no racial disparities were identified in either care setting.
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Neuromusculoskeletal injuries (NMSKI) are very common in the military, which contribute to short- and long-term disability. ⋯ Body region, sex, age, rank, and branch were the salient factors for NMSKI. The significant protective effect during the pandemic was likely a function of reduced physical exposure and limited access to nonurgent care. Geographically accessible specialized care, aligned with communities with the greatest risk, is needed for timely NMSKI prevention, assessment, and treatment.
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Military Veterans have an increased risk of suicide compared to the general population, but less is known about changes in risk with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, or whether any changes have been moderated by psychiatric or demographic factors. The primary objective was to test the hypothesis that the likelihood of suicide attempt or death by suicide was stable during the first year of the pandemic versus the preceding year for the full sample. A second objective was to test the hypothesis that, in contrast, risk increased for Veteran subgroups characterized by traditional risk factors (e.g., psychiatric diagnosis). ⋯ The findings suggest that the pandemic has not led to an increase in suicidal behavior, which is consistent with other studies, although the degree of decline varied across diagnostic and demographic groups. Further longitudinal research is needed to evaluate whether the prolonged nature of COVID-19 may lead to changes in risk over time.
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The COVID-19 pandemic affected the lives of military members and their families, with over 400,000 cases among U.S. military members since the start of the pandemic. The objective of this study is to examine and compare COVID-19 vaccination coverage of military members (active duty and Reserve/National Guard) and their family members (spouses, children, and adolescents) to that of their civilian counterparts using a large, nationally representative study. ⋯ Despite vaccine mandates and the high vaccination coverage found among the majority of military members, disparities exist in some subgroups. Educational interventions and increased communication from trusted leaders, such as medical providers and commanders, could increase confidence in vaccines among military families. Ensuring access to vaccines, empowering healthcare providers to recommend vaccines, and reminding parents of missed vaccinations or preventive checkups can help improve vaccination coverage. Achieving high vaccination among military members and their families is essential in protecting those in the forefront of the pandemic response and promoting the safety and security of the nation.