title: Infectious disease teleconsultative support of deployed healthcare providers.
abstract: Specialty teleconsultation is being provided to deployed healthcare providers in the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan through the use of the Army Knowledge Online (AKO) e-mail service. We reviewed 374 teleconsults received by the infectious disease (ID) service between January 2005 and June 2008. The patients were 65% male, 12% female, 33% the gender was not stated or the consult did not involve an individual, and 41% were U.S. Army. The average response time was under 5 hours. Ninety-one percent of consults originated from the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. Consults included questions pertaining to therapy (42%), diagnosis (21%), prevention (13%), or mixed categories (24%). Bacterial infections were the most common (32%), followed by parasitic infections (16%). Tuberculosis and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus accounted for 13% and 8% of consults, respectively. Data from this program should be useful in focusing predeployment provider training. It also provides the military ID community situational awareness of problems encountered in theater.
authors.affiliation: Brooke Army Medical Center, 3851 Roger Brooke Drive, Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234, USA.
authors.forename: Ana E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.forename: Charles M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Lappan
authors.forename: Susan L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Fraser
authors.forename: Duane R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Hospenthal
authors.forename: Clinton K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Murray
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D055826:Afghan Campaign 2001-; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D034742:Electronic Mail; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D054542:Iraq War, 2003-2011; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel; D019114:Remote Consultation; D014481:United States