Title
Difference in fitness for duty among soldiers on a mission: Can these be explained by a difference in the preemployment assessment?
Author
de Raad, J.
Nijhuis, F.J.N.
Willems, J.H.B.M.
TNO Preventie en Gezondheid
Publication year
2005
Abstract
In 1998, the Royal Netherlands Army introduced a new examination system (abbreviated as BMEKL), which was based on the "workload-capability" model, to replace the old system (abbreviated as PULHEEMS), which focused on diagnosis and was based solely on the detection of diseases and infirmities. To discern differences under operational conditions between soldiers examined with one of the two medical examination systems, we performed a prospective cohort study. In the study, soldiers who had been declared fit for duty with one of the two medical assessment systems (randomized) and sent on a mission were monitored for 2 years. We used the two operational measures of availability and health care costs. In addition, the candidates were given a questionnaire twice per year during the study period. The study revealed that the soldiers assessed using the function-based BMEKL system displayed greater fitness for duty than did those assessed using the diagnosis-based PULHEEMS system. The BMEKL assessment system is a better predictor of the ability to function as a soldier in general, and with regard to deployment, health, and the locomotor apparatus specifically, than is the PULHEEMS system. Copyright © by Association of Military Surgeons of U.S., 2005.
Subject
Army
Cohort analysis
Fitness
Health care cost
Human
Major clinical study
Male
Monitoring
Preemployment medical examination
Soldier
Adult
Employment
Humans
Military Medicine
Military Personnel
Netherlands
Physical Fitness
Prospective Studies
Questionnaires
Risk Assessment
Time Factors
Work Capacity Evaluation
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TNO identifier
238666
ISSN
0026-4075
Source
Military Medicine, 170 (9), 728-734
Document type
article