DVIDS – News – Military Medical Systems Using Mobile Apps for Warfighter Readiness

Military health systems are using advanced digital health technologies to improve health outcomes. Timely, accurate, and useful health information is essential to supporting military medical staff and patients.

The Defense Health Agency’s Office of Mobility supports the development of mobile apps that connect patients and medical staff with valuable health information to help them make informed healthcare decisions.

“A mobile app is an application designed for users on a mobile device, typically an iPhone or Android device,” said David Coleman, director of the Operations Sustainment, Web, and Mobile Technology Program at the Defense Health Agency. says Mr.

“While most people expect mobile apps to be limited to those available from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, they are designed to run on mobile devices and mimic the behavior we all expect. There’s also a website designed for us. It’s an app on our phones.”

DHA uses and creates mobile apps because “a large portion of our community prefers to use mobile devices, and the number of users accessing websites and services from mobile devices continues to increase year on year.” said Neal Machin. DHA’s Deputy Director of Web and Mobile Technologies. “It only makes sense to provide access to your user base on the platform they prefer.”

The use of mobile apps directly supports MHS and DHA’s strategic plans by leveraging technology to improve patient care delivery.

“Most patients have a smartphone in their pocket, but they probably don’t carry a laptop with them,” Coleman said. “Most patients use their smartphone exclusively, and it’s usually not a shared device. This access The combination of privacy and privacy gives patients a resource that is always available and tailored to their preferences.”

Beneficiaries have 24/7 access to important information through Military Health System’s mobile app.

Most DHA mobile apps are created and supported by DHA’s Web & Mobile Technology Program Management Office and Solution Delivery Department. Machin said there is a group within DHA that can develop and operate its own mobile capabilities. DHA Web & Mobile Technology team is available as a service for developing mobile applications.

Masin explained that some apps are niche and have a small user base, while others may have thousands of users.

Some apps are designed specifically for patients, others for healthcare workers and staff in military hospitals and clinics, and still others for a broader audience. Currently, DHA operates about 30 apps.

Beneficiaries will be able to access their personal information and track appointments and prescriptions, as well as access resources to help maintain medical preparedness, mental health, and preventive health.

Available DHA Mobile and TRICARE related apps include:

mental health
• Breathe2Relax: A portable stress management tool that provides detailed information about the effects of stress on the body. Provides exercises to help manage stress, stabilize mood, and manage anxiety.

• Tactical Breather: This app allows you to control your physiological and psychological responses to stress.

• PTSD Coach: Provides support to service members experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.

• Virtual Hope Box: Helps users cope, relax, distract, and think positively with personalized audio, video, photos, games, mindfulness exercises, activity plans, inspirational quotes, and coping statements. Contains simple tools to assist you.

patient safety
• Pain and Opioid Safety: This app is for recording and measuring information about your pain and opioids.

• Medication Adherence: Helping healthcare providers and patients adhere to prescribed medications.

Patient health and preparation
• Mission Fit: This app offers a library of over 90 exercises and a 12-week program of exercise routines with detailed instructions with videos, images, and text.

• BioZen: Combined with external sensors, this app can provide users with live data covering various biophysiological signals such as brain waves, electromyography, galvanic skin response, electrocardiogram, respiratory rate, and body temperature.

prevention tools
• QuitSTART: This is useful if you are trying to quit smoking.

women’s health
• Decide + Be Ready: A mobile app that guides military members to the best options for contraception and family planning.

• Deployment Readiness Education for Military Women: Empowers women by providing a one-stop resource for women’s health concerns before, during, and after deployment.

Pediatric transitional care
• Pediatric to Adult Transition: This app is designed to provide resources and information for youth who are transitioning from pediatric to adult care.

Medical information and awareness
• Immunization Toolkit: The Immunization Toolkit app provides practical immunization reference information for MHS beneficiaries and health care providers.

• Internal Medicine: The app allows patients, visitors, and staff to quickly access information such as pharmacy wait times, facility directories, and quick reference information from their mobile phones.

• DHA MedCard: Enables DHA pharmacies to capture and verify certification dates for third-party payers for DoD beneficiaries. It also provides users with a way to obtain other information about themselves and their family members that may be helpful when interacting with pharmacists.

• TRICARE Support Contractor Apps: This page includes patient resource apps provided by TRICARE.

Tools for providers and healthcare facilities
• Warfighter Brain Health Provider Toolkit: App for MHS providers. It includes the automated MACE 2 and is a resource hub for several topics related to brain health.

• Antimicrobial Stewardship: The Antimicrobial Stewardship app includes a set of information for providers about microorganisms and drug effectiveness by region.

• DHA Pediatrics: Contains information for pediatricians at various military hospitals and clinics. This password-protected app brings together many resources for providers in one place for quick access.

• Provider Resilience: Provider Resilience gives healthcare providers tools to protect against burnout and compassion fatigue when supporting military members, retirees, and eligible family members.

• Although not a mobile app, MHS GENESIS is the Military Health System’s state-of-the-art electronic health record that provides service members, veterans, and their families 24/7 access to health information, scheduling appointments, and filling prescriptions. , provides an exchange of messages with the medical team. The MHS GENESIS Patient Portal can be accessed from any device with an internet connection at myaccess.dmdc.osd.mil.