When it comes to your healthcare, who is the most important decision maker? If you said "I am" you are exactly right! Your health is greatly influenced by where you live, work and play -- your Lifespace - and what you do when you are in each of those places. Healthcare team members appreciate that while you look to the Military Health System (MHS) for appointments, prescriptions, treatments, and health education, the decisions YOU make impact YOUR health. Healthcare providers and staff are important members of your team but you are at the center of that team.
You determine the key decisions and the steps you will follow every day. In appreciation of your involvement in your health outcomes, Army Surgeon General, Lt. Gen. Patricia Horoho announced that Army Medicine would move from a Healthcare System to a System For Health. The goal is to help YOU improve YOUR health!
To better serve you as a patient, healthcare team members need to use available tools and provide services wisely. Some of those tools include the VA/DOD Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs). Developed by subject matter experts from the Army, Air Force, Navy and Veterans Health Administration, the CPGs address the unique needs of the military population. They translate research findings into everyday applications for the healthcare team.
Historically, when one moved from one installation to another, or as service members transitioned to the VA, care varied from place to place. In an effort to change this and make care more consistent, there are now 24 CPGs available to help your provider know what the research indicates is the best care for a particular condition or disease. There are also specific materials for your provider to give you so that you and your Family are better prepared to live with the specific condition or disease covered in the CPG. Of course the care recommended in the CPG can be modified by the provider based on their assessment and your wishes. Remember, YOU are an important member of YOUR healthcare team.
A System for Health means that we recognize that you need a healthcare system that is receptive to your needs. For many in the healthcare systemthis means a change in our role and relationship with you. Healthcare team members need to provide care differently than in the past. We will encourage and empower every Active Duty Service Member (ADSM) to optimize their own health and ask questions if they have any concerns so that they are able to perform at their peak. The same holds true for Retirees and Family members so that they can enjoy the best health possible.
It is recognized that sleep, activity, and nutrition play an important role in your health. Management of these three life activities is a means to optimize health and performance. In order to improve your health, it is important that you are proactive in identifying and modifying unhealthy behaviors, such as tobacco use, alcohol abuse and misuse of medications, not to mention overeating, not getting enough sleep or being sedentary.
Become actively involved in your care! Ask questions! Be informed! Work with your healthcare provider to let them know what YOUR goals are and what you see as barriers to improving your health. Your healthcare team is available to help you in these and other areas, regardless of your current health status.
Across the Department of Defense there have been a variety of programs and services implemented to help you live healthier. There are new wellness programs available in the military treatment facilities and across military installations. Most of the clinics now have embraced the Patient Centered Medical Home model -- which is focused on you and your Family. Community Based Medical Homes are now open in many locations. Additionally, most installations have services available in the unit setting where Soldiers work.
Innovative programs available to help you "closer to home" include Relay Health. Relay Health, Army Medicine?'s Secure Messaging Service (AMSMS), allows you to communicate with your healthcare team electronically. You can use it to request medication refills, ask health related questions, get lab results, and more. Inquire as to how you can sign up for it at your next clinic visit. While you are there, ask for more information about how you may become involved as an active member in YOUR healthcare! Also visit: www.armymedicine.mil.
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