Progress in Implementing Recommendations in the National Academy of Sciences Reports: “Protecting Those Who Serve: Strategies to Protect the Health of Deployed U.S. Forces”

Abstract

Since the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the National Research Council (NRC) published their recommendations to develop a national strategy to better protect the health of U.S. Forces, the Department of Defense has made efforts to achieve the goals and recommendations of the IOM and NRC in the four main areas identified in their reports: assessment of health risks during deployments; technologies and methods for detection and tracking of exposures; physical protection and decontamination; and medical protection, health consequences and treatment, and medical record keeping. However, much more remains to be done and this underscores the need for a continued commitment to implement the long-term strategy for force health protection. This article summarizes some of the major improvements, highlights areas where more work is necessary, and identifies obstacles that must be overcome to achieve the recommendations of the IOM and the NRC.