--Request for Information: Mechanisms for Point-of-Care Data Entry in Combat Environments

In military healthcare, there is a need to increase the efficiency of data entry into theater source information systems. Technologies exist that have the potential to allow for streamlined entry of medical encounter information into source systems, such as voice recognition and the remote detection of individual soldiers vital signs. Of paramount importance is the ability to capture clinically meaningful data under theater conditions, with the concomitant noise and chaos of a combat environment. The military has already developed highly effective mobile tools to collect data at the point of care, but so far these rely upon entering data into electronic forms, usually via a pen interface or standard keyboard. In a combat environment, however, situ ations arise when these tools prove inadequate. In such situations, it is challenging, or even impossible, for the provider to capture any encounter data at all, much less data that is clinically significant. Therefore, of particular interest here are th e mechanics of data entry  in other words, ways of relieving the burden on the provider as much as possible. The U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC) Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC), in concert with the Department of Defense (DoD) Health Affairs, seeks to gain an understanding of what technologies are currently av ailable in the commercial market to meet the need for an innovative method of medical data entry that relieves the burden on care providers operating in combat environments. Information must be submitted not later than December 10, 2004. Points of Contact: Ms. Jessica Kenyon USAMRMC TATRC +1 (555) 000-0000 contact@example.gov OR Mr. Mark Jeffrey USAMRMC TATRC +1 (555) 000-0000 contact@example.gov