title: Guidelines for implementing medical operations in the Counterinsurgency (COIN) fight: a framework for engagement.
abstract: Several articles have been published over the last decade that describe the current role of medical operations (variously known as MEDCAPS- Medical Civic Action Programs, CMEs- Co-Operative Medical Engagements, etc.) in COIN and stability operations. Many of these articles focus on the experiences of healthcare and support personnel and their observations of inappropriately used U.S. Military healthcare resources. These medical assets were often used to provide fragmented and direct patient care to local populations. These operations were conducted in a non-sustainable fashion.2 Most importantly, poorly organized efforts damage COIN efforts and alienate local populations. Effective medical operations must be nested within the larger realm of overall COIN actions. In this paper, a fundamental framework is presented to align medical operations within COIN missions.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hamid
mesh_terms: D055826:Afghan Campaign 2001-; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D008887:Military Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D014481:United States