title: A study protocol for tracking quality of life among U.S. service members wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan: the Wounded Warrior Recovery Project.
abstract: There is a need for more work to understand the quality of life (QOL) outcomes of survivors of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom combat injury to improve care and treatment, and prevent poor physical, psychological, and social outcomes. We describe the study design and methods of the Wounded Warrior Recovery Project, a study supported by the Department of Defense that will track close to 10,000 military personnel wounded in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. The overall objective of the 6-year longitudinal study is to track changes in QOL and describe variations in those changes as they relate to sociodemographic factors, injury characteristics, service-related factors, clinical/diagnostic measures including traumatic brain injury and posttraumatic stress disorder, and medical procedures and services. The Wounded Warrior Recovery Project study will be among the first longitudinal population-based investigations of QOL outcomes after combat injury and will provide a basis upon which large-scale epidemiological studies can be conducted.
authors.affiliation: Medical Modeling, Simulation, and Mission Support Department, Code 161, Naval Health Research Center, 140 Sylvester Road, San Diego, CA 92106.
authors.forename: Susan I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Woodruff
authors.affiliation: Medical Modeling, Simulation, and Mission Support Department, Code 161, Naval Health Research Center, 140 Sylvester Road, San Diego, CA 92106.
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Galarneau
authors.affiliation: Medical Modeling, Simulation, and Mission Support Department, Code 161, Naval Health Research Center, 140 Sylvester Road, San Diego, CA 92106.
authors.forename: Bethi N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Luu
authors.affiliation: Medical Modeling, Simulation, and Mission Support Department, Code 161, Naval Health Research Center, 140 Sylvester Road, San Diego, CA 92106.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sack
authors.affiliation: Medical Modeling, Simulation, and Mission Support Department, Code 161, Naval Health Research Center, 140 Sylvester Road, San Diego, CA 92106.
authors.forename: Peggy
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D055826:Afghan Campaign 2001-; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D054542:Iraq War, 2003-2011; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology*; D014481:United States; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology*