The Social Medicine Portal

Civilian Medical Resources Network: Addressing the unmet medical needs of active duty GI's

In the latest issue of Social Medicine we have published an article by Howard Waitzkin and Marylou Noble describing the Civilian Medical  Resources Network. The Network is an association of health care providers who give free or very low cost care to active duty GI’s who feel unsatisfied with the care they receive in the military.  The article reviews  some of the difficulties with military medicine. These include dual agency (a conflict of interest between duty to the patient and duty to the military) and the privitization of military health care services.  In addition the article describes the clinical presentations – often dramatic – of soliders seeking assistance from the network.

We reprint here the abstract.  The full article is available at this link.  Readers interested in further information may want to visit the News and Resources page of the Network’s website.

Abstract
Due to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the unmet medical and psychological needs of military personnel are creating major challenges. Increasingly, active duty military personnel are seeking physical and mental health services from civilian professionals. The Civilian Medical Resources Network attempts to address these unmet needs. Participants in the Network include primary care and mental health practitioners in all regions of the country. Network professionals provide independent assessments, clinical interventions in acute situations, and documentation that assists GIs in obtaining reassignment or discharge. Most clients who use Network services come from low-income backgrounds and manifest psychological rather than physical disorders. Qualitative themes in professional-client encounters have focused on ethical conflicts, the impact of violence without meaning (especially violence against civilians), and perceived problems in military health and mental health policies. Unmet needs of active duty military personnel deserve more concerted attention from medical professionals and policy makers.

posted by Matt Anderson, MD