Where are we at with telemedicine capabilities and development in the military both in special operations and conventional forces?

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 14 Jul 2021 07:04:50 -0400

Where are we at with telemedicine capabilities and development in the military both in special operations and conventional forces. It exists and there is a system in place but what are the current limitations of the equipment and what would make it better?

I was recently in a working group that was looking for input on the requirements that would be needed to field a practical and relevant piece of equipment that could be used for telemedicine. The initial discussion was comparing the telemedicine devices currently used in professional sports that monitor heart rate, temperature, respirations, etc. and duplicating that on the battlefield so you could track the vital signs of every person at all times giving you advanced notice of a problem that may arise or one that has before tactical communication filters down to the medic on ground. There were several concerns brought up about the accuracy of vitals, GPS security, digital signatures in a battle space, light and sound discipline, and much more. What are your concerns? What do you think are the hard requirements to make it both tactically sound and medically accurate?

Please follow the thread here https://www.milsuite.mil/book/thread/255498

Wearable and telemedicine innovations for Olympic events and elite sport. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2021 Jul 13. doi: 10.23736/S0022-4707.21.12752-5 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34256539/
Abstract
Rapid advances in wearable technologies and real-time monitoring have resulted in major inroads in the world of recreational and elite sport. One such innovation is the application of real-time monitoring, which comprises a smartwatch application and ecosystem, designed to collect, process and transmit a wide range of physiological, biomechanical, bioenergetic and environmental data using cloud-based services. We plan to assess the impact of this wireless technology during Tokyo2020, where this technology could help characterize the physiological and thermal strain experienced by an athlete, as well as determine future management of athletes during a medical emergency as a result of a more timely and accurate diagnosis. Here we describe some of the innovative technologies developed for numerous sports at Tokyo2020 ranging from race walking (20 km and 50 km events), marathon, triathlon, road cycling (including the time trial event), mountain biking, to potentially team sports played outdoors. A more symbiotic relationship between sport, health and technology needs to be encouraged that harnesses the unique demands of elite sport (e.g., the need for unobtrusive devices that provide real-time feedback) and serves as medical and preventive support for the athlete's care. The implementation of such applications would be particularly welcome in the field of medicine (i.e., telemedicine applications) and the workplace (with particular relevance to emergency services, the military and generally workers under extreme environmental conditions). Laboratory and field-based studies are required in simulated scenarios to validate such emerging technologies, with the field of sport serving as an excellent model to understand and impact disease.

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Response by SGM Bill Frazer made Jul 14 at 2021 1:35 PM

SGM Bill Frazer — Wed, 14 Jul 2021 13:35:19 -0400

That would be great If you have reliable comms, can afford to sit still while sending back and forth, can nobody is hunting you, Oh, there is also available bandwidth, dead spots, satellite coverage, etc. Afraid that is a future thing, like armored suits.