Military Health and Health Care

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As a large employer in the United States, the Department of Defense faces significant challenges ensuring that all members of the military, as well as their families, receive appropriate health care for everything from general health and well-being to specialized clinical care for deployment related injuries such as amputations, chemically induced illnesses, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Combining its expertise in health and defense policy, RAND examines policy issues surrounding military medical care needs and the systems intended to meet them.

Report

How Military Medical Care Has Evolved

Nov 11, 2020

How America cares for its war casualties—those physically or mentally wounded in combat—is a high priority. From the Korean War to recent conflicts in the Middle East, there have been dramatic changes in the care that these casualties receive in the field and in hospitals, in the care given to disabled veterans and their dependents, and in who provides that care.
Report

The Behavioral Health of Minority Service Members

Feb 1, 2021

Members of minority groups make up a larger percentage of the U.S. military than ever before. Identifying whether and where behavioral health disparities exist among them can help the Department of Defense better address troops' mental health needs and improve force readiness.

Explore Military Health and Health Care

Journal Article

Associations Between Mental and Physical Health Conditions and Occupational Impairments in the U.S. Military

Common mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD showed robust associations with absenteeism and presenteeism among active duty U.S. military service members.

Feb 19, 2021
Report

Balancing Access and Cost Control in the TRICARE Prescription Drug Benefit

The Military Health System provides health and drug coverage to beneficiaries through TRICARE. This report describes the TRICARE pharmacy benefit and the trade-offs in TRICARE pharmacy policies between increasing access and controlling costs.

Jan 14, 2021
Journal Article

Video Games as a Potential Modality for Behavioral Health Services for Young Adult Veterans: Exploratory Analysis

The objective of our study was to explore differences in video game playing by behavioral health need for young adult veterans to identify potential conditions for which video games could be used as a modality for behavioral health services.

Jan 7, 2021
Report

Mitigating the Effects of Blast-Related Burn Injuries from Prolonged Field Care to Rehabilitation and Resilience: Proceedings and Expert Findings from a U.S. Department of Defense International State-of-the-Science Meeting

Blast-related burns, which accounted for most burns suffered by service members in the recent conflict in Afghanistan, are difficult to treat. These conference proceedings describe a meeting held at RAND to identify gaps in blast-injury research.

Dec 23, 2020
Report

Characteristics and Duty Limitations of Service Members Transferring Between the Active and Reserve Components

The authors analyze characteristics and duty limitations of service members who transfer between active and reserve components and make recommendations to reduce the number of personnel who transfer with medical conditions that limit deployability.

Dec 15, 2020
Brochure

RAND Arroyo Center Annual Report 2020

This Annual Report illustrates the depth, breadth, and responsiveness of the studies that RAND Arroyo Center conducted for the Army in fiscal year 2020.

Nov 10, 2020
Commentary

All Veterans with Invisible Wounds Should Receive High-Quality Care That Meets These Standards

Millions of post-9/11 U.S. military veterans experience life-changing invisible wounds, including posttraumatic stress disorder and chronic issues resulting from traumatic brain injuries. While effective treatments are available, many veterans lack access to high-quality care. And what high-quality care means, exactly, has been elusive.

Oct 30, 2020
Report

The Effect of Blast-Related Burn Injuries from Prolonged Field Care to Rehabilitation and Resilience: A Review of the Scientific Literature

Researchers reviewed literature about blast-related burn injury, which is common among service members and is associated with infection, disability, military discharge, and mortality. Further research is needed on burn prevention and field care.

Sep 21, 2020
Report

Limb Salvage and Recovery After Severe Blast Injury

Although there is a vast literature on limb salvage, there is limited research on military blast-related limb salvage. What can be learned from the evidence and innovations about restoration and reconstruction after limb salvage for severe blast-related limb injury?

Jul 6, 2020
Report

Limb Salvage and Recovery After Blast-Related Injury: Proceedings and Expert Findings from a U.S. Department of Defense International State-of-the-Science Meeting

These conference proceedings summarize findings and recommendations of an expert-led meeting that addressed questions about when to emphasize limb salvage over other treatment options -- such as amputation -- for individuals with blast-related injuries.

Jun 11, 2020
Dissertation

Improving the Air Force Medical Service's Expeditionary Medical Support System: A Simulation Approach: Analysis of Mass-Casualty Combat and Disaster Relief Scenarios

Uses a simulation tool to analyze the Air Force's Expeditionary Medical Support System to see how it performs, what changes can be made, and the specific impacts on overall patient outcomes for different patient streams.

Jun 3, 2020
Periodical

RAND Review: May-June 2020

Feature stories explore how military and local governments can work together to prepare their communities for climate change, and the unmet needs of civilians who return from war zones and other hot spots throughout the world.

May 22, 2020
Report

Options for Maintaining Clinical Proficiency During Peacetime

The U.S. Army Medical Department has a dual mission: to care for the war wounded during times of conflict and to operate medical treatment facilities that provide care to service members, their beneficiaries, and military retirees. What options exist for improving the readiness of Army medical personnel?

May 19, 2020
Journal Article

The Relationship Between Engagement in Online Support Groups and Social Isolation Among Military Caregivers: Longitudinal Questionnaire Study

It is unclear how well online groups reduce social isolation and improve mental health among military caregivers. This study focused on members of a new online community for military caregivers, compared with caregivers who were members of existing groups.

Apr 29, 2020
Commentary

Pandemics and the U.S. Military: Lessons from 1918

Military leaders today face a more benign security environment than their predecessors did during the 1918 Spanish flu. The U.S. military is engaged in operations abroad, but it's not fighting a great-power war. The Pentagon has every reason to focus on stemming the COVID-19 pandemic even if it has to absorb some downgrade in readiness.

Apr 1, 2020
Report

Neurological Effects of Repeated Exposure to Military Occupational Levels of Blast: A Review of Scientific Literature

There is increasing concern over the common, repetitive forms of blast to which military members are exposed during service, and how those exposures could affect the central nervous system. The authors of this report review the relevant literature.

Mar 18, 2020
Blog

State of the Union 2020: Insights from RAND

The final State of the Union address of President Trump's four-year term may be viewed through the lens of the unprecedented circumstances surrounding the evening. But the speech touched on a range of policy challenges that will remain, regardless of how politics play out in 2020.

Feb 5, 2020
Research Brief

Improving Behavioral Health Treatment Outcomes for U.S. Army Personnel: Predictors of Treatment Outcomes

In this brief, RAND researchers, in support of Army efforts to provide the highest-quality behavioral health care possible, identify factors associated with changes in outcomes for soldiers who receive Army behavioral health specialty care.

Feb 3, 2020