title: [Evaluation of interest in research among surgically active medical officers in the German Armed Forces].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Research in military medicine and in particular combat surgery is a broad field that has gained international importance during the last decade. In the context of increased NATO missions, this also holds true for the Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces); however, medical officers in surgery must balance research between their clinical work load, missions, civilian and family obligation.
  
  
  METHODS
  To evaluate engagement with and interest in research, a questionnaire was distributed among the doctors of the surgical departments of the Bundeswehr hospitals by the newly founded working group Chirurgische Forschung der Bundeswehr (surgical research of the Bundeswehr). Returned data were recorded from October 2013 to January 2014 and descriptive statistics were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Answers were received from 87 out of 193 military surgeons (45 %). Of these 81 % announced a general interest in research with a predominance on clinical research in preference to experimental settings. At the time of the evaluation 32 % of the participants were actively involved in research and 53 % regarded it as difficult to invest time in research activities parallel to clinical work. Potential keys to increase the interest and engagement in research were seen in the implementation of research coordinators and also in a higher amount of free time, for example by research rotation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Research can be regarded as having a firm place in the daily work of medical officers in the surgical departments of the Bundeswehr; however, the engagement is limited by time and structural factors. At the departmental level and in the command structures of the military medical service, more efforts are recommended in the future in order to enhance the engagement with surgical research. This evaluation should be repeated in the coming years as a measuring instrument and data should be compared in an international context.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Unfallchirurgie und Orthopädie, Septische und Rekonstruktive Chirurgie, Bundeswehrkrankenhaus Berlin, Scharnhorststr. 13, 10115, Berlin, Deutschland. davidback@bundeswehr.org.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Back
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Unfallchirurgie und Orthopädie, Rekonstruktive und Septische Chirurgie, Sporttraumatologie, Bundeswehrkrankenhaus Ulm, Ulm, Deutschland.
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Palm
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Allgemein-, Viszeral- und Thoraxchirurgie, Bundeswehrzentralkrankenhaus Koblenz, Koblenz, Deutschland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Willms
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Allgemein,- Viszeral-, Thorax- und Gefäßchirurgie, Bundeswehrkrankenhaus Hamburg, Hamburg, Deutschland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Westerfeld
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Allgemein,- Viszeral-, Thorax- und Gefäßchirurgie, Bundeswehrkrankenhaus Hamburg, Hamburg, Deutschland.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hinck
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Orthopädie und Unfallchirurgie, Bundeswehrkrankenhaus Westerstede, Westerstede, Deutschland.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schulze
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Unfallchirurgie und Orthopädie, Rekonstruktive und Septische Chirurgie, Sporttraumatologie, Bundeswehrkrankenhaus Ulm, Ulm, Deutschland.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Brodauf
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Unfallchirurgie und Orthopädie, Wiederherstellungs-, Hand- und Plastische Chirurgie, Verbrennungsmedizin, Bundeswehrzentralkrankenhaus Koblenz, Koblenz, Deutschland.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bieler
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Allgemein- und Viszeralchirurgie, Bundeswehrkrankenhaus Berlin, Berlin, Deutschland.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Küper
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002321:Career Choice; D005260:Female; D013502:General Surgery / Q000193:education*; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008887:Military Medicine / Q000193:education*; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000193:education*; D009042:Motivation; D012106:Research / Q000193:education*; D066231:Surgeons / Q000193:education*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical / Q000193:education; D016526:Workload
keywords: Bundeswehr; Combat surgery; Evaluation; Research; Surgical research