Leaders Discuss How Digital Innovation is Transforming Military Health Care | Article

Innovative digital tools, including artificial intelligence and telemedicine, can be leveraged to fill gaps in medical services but the key to military health care will always be people, military health leaders said during a Warfighter and Family Forum at the Association of the United States Army Annual Meeting & Exposition, Tuesday, Oct. 15, in Washington, DC.

“People are at the heart of delivering care, whether it is in the deployed environment or whether it’s in garrison,” said Dr. Jonathan Woodson, president of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, which trains military medical students. However, Woodson emphasized that digital solutions are critical to supporting medical providers and can help with the ongoing health care workforce shortage. Woodson said USU is revising their curriculum to ensure the military medical workforce has the competency to work with innovative technology tools including AI.

Leveraging digital tools “maintains those human clinical capabilities for the cases that really require it,” said Lt. Gen. Mary Krueger Izaguirre, U.S. Army Surgeon General, while allowing patients to access care “wherever they are, closest to their place of need—it gives them more choice.” Izaguirre said patients who, for example, need a prescription refill can use digital solutions, while patients who need to see a doctor in person will be able to because providers will have the availability.

Retired Lt. Gen. Patricia Horoho, 43rd U.S. Army Surgeon General, moderated the discussion during the Transforming Combat Ready Care forum at AUSA, in which panelists—including Izaguirre and Woodson, as well as Lt. Gen. Telita Crosland, Director, Defense Health Agency—talked about how the military and the Army are “focusing on innovation and modern solutions to deliver person-centric, cutting-edge, health care.”

The military medical community is already leveraging technology in innovative ways to improve access and convenience for patients, said Crosland. Earlier this year, five military hospitals began testing a “suite of digital tools” called My Military Health. These digital tools include the SilverCloud behavioral health platform, which uses an app on mobile devices to provide mental wellness care; secure video for telehealth appointments; and Care Companion, another digital health tool that can help patients keep up with their recovery care plan. Some of these tools are in the process of being rolled out stateside and eventually overseas, she said.

The advantage of leveraging these digital tools became evident most recently in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Staff at Martin Army Community Hospital, Fort Moore, Georgia—one of the test sites for My Military Health—were able to transfer 600 appointments to a virtual environment during the natural disaster, Crosland said.

“We honored both our patients and our staff just leveraging a tool in an innovative way,” she said.

Technology can also transform what medics can do overseas, Izaguirre said. She gave the example of how ultrasound can be used in the battlefield and the imagery can be sent stateside, where an advanced expert can give medics guidance virtually and through telecommunications, augmenting their capability.

“Army medicine’s job … is to inspire trust. Inspire trust in our Soldiers, that the best health care in the world is there with you, shoulder-to-shoulder,” Izaguirre said. “Inspire trust in our Families that we will provide the care that you need as you support your Soldier and inspire trust in our workforce that we are the sort of organization that you want to work for.”

During the forum, Crosland also announced that for TRICARE West Region beneficiaries (who are undergoing the transition to TriWest from Health Net), TriWest will publish a new directory of providers in early November. Although DHA is working to ensure a seamless transition, beneficiaries should look at the directory to verify if their previous provider is part of the new network, Crosland said. TRICARE open season is Nov. 11–Dec. 10, 2024, for those who want to change their health care plan.