The Geneva Foundation (Geneva), in partnership with the Broussard Foundation, brought together more than 50 military leaders, clinicians, scientists, and experts within the physical therapy, orthopedics, physical medicine, and pain management fields for the first ever Tri-Service Post-Operative Rehabilitation Protocol Consensus Meeting to standardize disparate protocols for military healthcare. The Musculoskeletal Injury Rehabilitation Research for Operational Readiness (MIRROR) program meeting identified best practices within the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Air Force to advance musculoskeletal injury (MSI) rehabilitative multiservice care and enhance military readiness. Resulting from discussions at the event, 13 total protocols for hip, knee, foot, ankle, and shoulder injury rehabilitation will be standardized and the team is submitting an article for publication in Q2 2020.
MIRROR’s Chief of Research & Operations Dr. Brad Isaacson said, “This was an unprecedented event which brought together top experts from across the country to examine effective return-to-duty activities. Standardizing musculoskeletal protocols will ensure consistent treatment for our service members and the clinicians that provide this top-notch care.” The group also identified research gaps to optimize operative physical therapy guidelines that will help to design, fund and/or execute future relevant research studies in the field.
The Tri-Service Post-Operative Rehabilitation Protocol Consensus Meeting was made possible in part by a generous $40,000 donation from the Broussard Foundation, to improve the education and training of military personnel. Musculoskeletal injuries affect approximately 800,000 service members annually that result in 25 million days of limited duty, according to mirrorusuhs.org. These conditions are the primary reasons for medical discharge and down grade, but most concerning is the disability discharge rate for MSI has increased 13x between 1981 and 2005. Headquartered at the Uniformed Services University (USU), the MIRROR program,supported by the Defense Health Agency (DHA), was established in 2019 to deliver high value research, education, and training, and provides infrastructure to rapidly execute clinically relevant MSI studies within the Military Health System (MHS). Geneva directs the MIRROR program by providing strategic leadership and program management, fiscal, data analysis, and regulatory support. MIRROR supports a broad scope of projects, including epidemiological investigations, multisite clinical trials, test novel devices/treatment modalities, etc. which enhance the Department of Defense’s (DoD) efforts in addressing the negative impact that MSI has on the military. This collaboration provides the opportunity to achieve successful outcomes within the MHS.
About The Geneva Foundation
The Geneva Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that advances military medicine through innovative scientific research, exceptional program management, and a dedication to U.S. service members and veterans, their families, and the global community. Geneva is proud to have over 25 years of experience in delivering full spectrum scientific, technical, and program management expertise in the areas of federal grants, federal contracts ,industry sponsored clinical trials, and educational services. www.genevaUSA.org
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