Military experiences and exposures are well-known factors that affect individuals’ health and well-being, both in the short and long term. This is especially true when active military personnel and veterans mobilize and deploy to hazardous environments, whether that means combat or natural disaster responses.
“…They affect not only our service members but also their families and communities. By understanding and being aware of the risks and hazards they have faced, we can better support them through the services available within and outside of the Marshfield Clinic Health System.”
To better diagnose and treat current military and veterans, staff and physicians at the Marshfield Clinic Health System are now asking patients about having been in the military or are currently serving.
Corey Cronrath, M.D., medical director of Marshfield Clinic Health System’s Occupational Health service line, believes understanding a patient’s military status and experience is crucial for enhancing their health care.
“As a physician and a veteran, I have been privileged to witness the dedication and sacrifice of our service members firsthand,” Cronrath said. “They face a myriad of dangers – from the toxins of burn pits to enemy fire – both at home and abroad. Some of these exposures lead to immediate health issues, while others manifest over time, posing unique challenges to their health. It’s crucial for us, as the health care team, to understand these challenges. They affect not only our service members but also their families and communities. By understanding and being aware of the risks and hazards they have faced, we can better support them through the services available within and outside of the Marshfield Clinic Health System.”
The questions will be a regular occurrence for those patients aged 17 and older, repeating every three years or until the history is completely captured.
Many people likely already share with their care providers if they have military experience or are a veteran during a normal annual visit. That information is often recorded in typed notes called social histories. Given the advancement in information technologies, the Health System has designed a set of discrete questions to capture these facts more consistently, creating much more reliable and organized data. If patients respond “yes” to whether they have served in the military or are currently serving, additional questions will open, including:
- Branch(es) of service
- If they were deployed or mobilized
- Years of service or if they are currently serving
This improvement to the patients’ medical records will better inform health care providers about what may be affecting patients’ health. It can provide more depth for diagnostics and can better inform treatment plans. This is critical for a state like Wisconsin where a number of the riskiest occupations are well-represented, including construction, transportation, and agriculture (both farming and forestry). Wisconsin is home to an estimated 350,000 veterans. Information about patients’ military history, occupation and industry will not affect their health insurance costs or coverage.
