| Abstract |
The 520th Theater Army Medical Laboratory (TAML) is a unique Army asset with worldwide responsibility to deploy on short notice and conduct health surveillance as part of a comprehensive Force Health Protection Program. The TAML is staffed by permanent party enlisted and officers and augmented with Professional Filler System (PROFIS) officers upon deployment. The staff is required to set up, operate, maintain, and troubleshoot sophisticated, delicate, analytical equipment in a hostile environment. Training of TAML soldiers on analytical chemistry techniques is the joint responsibility of the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense (USAMRICD) and the U.S. Array Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine (USACHPPM) who, collectively, possess the expertise needed by the TAML soldiers for analysis, data interpretation, troubleshooting, and consultation.- However, implementing a comprehensive training plan has been undermined by routine deployments and the constant turnover of TAML personnel. We have addressed these issues using telemedicine technology to link the TAML to the experts in instrument operations and data analysis residing in these partnership units. The proposal was conducted in three phases; Equipment Procurement and Training, Proof of Concept, and Concept Validation. All tested scenarios met or exceeded established operating standards. By all measures the proposal was determined to be successful and to tremendously enhance the TAML's operational capability. |
