Stress Eesilience in Special Operations - Simulation-based Counter-terrorism Training from a Communication Perspective

Master students of the part-time study program in the winter semester 2020/21 Crisis & Emergency Management successfully complete the study module Operational Medicine 18F for the first time. Furthermore, participants from the professional groups of the health service, aid organizations, specialized police forces, the German Armed Forces as well as mission and outreach workers were represented in South Germany.

269 Sleep Enhancement Technology: A Survey of Apps

Introduction The ever-evolving market for sleep technologies far outpaces the ability of providers to understand and counsel patients about developments in this area. Although significant literature has validated the performance of sleep tracking technologies, there is little evidence regarding sleep enhancement technologies. Our study systematically surveys currently available commercial sleep enhancement smartphone applications to empower both providers and patients alike. Methods We systematically searched the App Store (Apple) and Google Play Store (Android) in the US on 26 MAY 2020 using the keyword “sleep.” This survey is inclusive of all smartphone applications found. Results We identified 342 apps: 70.2% were found on Android (N=240) and 29.8% on Apple (N=102). Ninety-five percent of apps offer a free version. The majority of sleep apps are intended for use during wake (65.8% exclusively during wake; 28.7% during both wake and sleep), with only 5.6% intended to be used during sleep alone. Most apps purport to enhance rather than measure sleep (78.7% versus 1.8%). The vast majority of apps claim to enhance sleep via reductions in sleep latency (65.8%). Reduced sleep latency is primarily achieved using a combination of non-verbal auditory stimuli such as nature sounds (84.4%), artificial stimuli (64.5%), and instrumental music (77.1%). Conclusion Interestingly, most sleep apps are designed to be used while awake, prior to sleep, and focus on the enhancement of sleep, rather than measurement, by targeting sleep latency. Given the multitude of available sleep enhancement apps, many of which are free to try, these should be considered a reasonable strategy for providers and consumers to consider for empowering patients to improve sleep! Support (if any) Department of Defense Military Operational Medicine Research Program (MOMRP)

OPERATIONAL MEDICINE - AN IMPORTANT BRANCH OF ROMANIAN MILITARY MEDICINE IN THE CONTEXT OF THE EVOLUTION OF ARMED CONFLICTS

Operational medicine is a concept born from the necessity to adapt medicine to the new progressions in the evolution of conflicts. Taking into account the fact that the forces involved in current conflicts are aware of the new dimensions of warfare, it has also becomenecessary to reconfigure the medical services provided in an operations theatre or in a real battlefield. Therefore, the tacticians, doctors and other American specialists have penciled operational medicine as a sub-branch of military medicine and,respectively, classified itaccording to the type of conflict in which it is engaged, but also according to the military unit it serves. A careful analysis of this concept in its evolution clearly demonstrates that operational medicine has been welcomed by all the parties involved, as the concept was quickly understood and implemented as such, progressively by NATO member states followed by others. Sprung fromnecessity and emerging as a characteristic of an extremely vast field (that of national and globalsecurity),employing dedicated and highly trained people, operational medicine always proves its effectiveness, achieving the best results by saving human lives.

Military Medical Students’ Intentions to Pursue Operational Medicine: Survey Design and Initial Validation

Introduction The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences coordinates a 2-week Summer Operational Experience (SOE) during the first year of medical school. The SOE aims to provide students with operational context and enhance familiarity with service-specific operational environments, the services’ medical department capabilities, and/or general warfighter skills. One overarching goal of the SOE is to provide an experience that may motivate students to pursue an operational medicine assignment at some point in their military career. However, to date, little evaluation data have been collected regarding the effectiveness of the SOE in encouraging medical students to pursue operational medicine assignments. The purpose of this project was to develop and collect initial validity evidence for a survey instrument designed to assess various aspects of students’ attitudes and behavioral intentions to pursue an operational medicine assignment at some point in their military career. Materials and Methods Using the theory of planned behavior as a framework, we developed a survey that focused on three distinct constructs: attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. We followed a systematic, seven-step design process to develop the survey and collect initial validity evidence. Students completed the 20-item survey prior to their operational experience to evaluate their intentions to pursue an operational medicine assignment at some point in their military career. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and reliability analysis were performed to examine the internal structure of the instrument. In addition, bivariate correlation and multiple linear regression analyses were used to explore the relationships between the identified factors and students’ intentions to pursue operational medicine. Results Results from the expert reviews and cognitive interviews suggested the instrument was clear and interpretable. We then invited the entire class of 2020 who participated in the SOE (149 students) to take the survey; in total, 122 students (response rate = 82%) completed the entire survey. Findings from the EFA suggested four underlying factors with satisfactory internal consistency reliability, and the regression analysis revealed that three factors statistically significantly predicted students’ intentions to pursue operational medicine: Attitude: Personal Growth (b = 0.67, β = 0.42, P < 0.001); Behavioral Control (b = 0.20, β = 0.15, P < 0.05); and Attitude: Career Progression (b = 0.36, β = 0.30, P < 0.001). The factor related to student’s perception of the importance that others placed on an operational medicine assignment was not a statistically significant predictor of intention. Conclusions Findings from this study suggest the developed survey yields scores that can reliably assess students’ attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and intentions to pursue operational medicine. Using this survey, course leaders have a tool for evaluating the success of the SOE and identifying potential areas for improvement within the curriculum. More broadly, other educators can use the theoretical framework and instrument design process described here to evaluate students’ behavioral intentions in their own contexts.