Streamlining Soldier Data Capture for the US Military

United States Army Medical Department is developing a mobile physical data collection system that will be used to determine soldier injury risk factors and help prevent future injuries.

Executive Summary

The US Army Medical Department was in search of a paperless system to quickly collect data in a physical evaluation setting and determine soldier injury risk. Barcodes Inc working in connection with Move2Perform, a company that developed injury calculation software, was able to create a physical evaluation software and soldier information survey using the Motorola MC75 and MSI netbook computers. The information collected was able to be imported into the Move2Perform software and give the Army accurate risk factors for each soldier in the study. The end result was that soldiers were placed in roles that would not result in the injury they were at a greater risk for and exercise techniques could be provided to strengthen vulnerable areas of the individual’s body.

The Business Challenge

Currently all new recruits to the US Military complete a basic entry physical evaluation on paper forms, but there is not an effective way to utilize these results to benefit each soldier.

Researchers at the US Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston reached out to Barcodes Inc for assistance in finding a solution that could prevent future injuries to soldiers by collecting information during physical evaluations, and using that information to recognize risk factors for potential injury to different areas of the body.

The solution needed to be expandable to multiple locations and time saving over the current paper process.

Solution

Barcodes Inc developed a two-part software for both the Motorola MC75 and MSI Netbooks to collect soldier data at the point of sign in, as well as their physical results. We were able to integrate our custom collection system with a software developed by Move2Perform which used our findings to determine each soldier’s injury risk factors.

Benefits

While using this system in two separate test locations, the Army Medical Department has been able to greatly improve the speed at which they pass new recruits through the physical process.

The MP3 staff has used this project to provide soldiers with activities and exercises designed to help strengthen and prevent future injury to the areas of risk found in the study. They have also been able to make assignment recommendations for recruits based on their physical abilities, resulting in fewer overall injuries.

The Future

Barcodes Inc’s solution is still in a test phase for the military. Researchers have shown that the system allows for faster, more accurate collection and continues to benefit those in the program. Other offices have shown interest in duplicating the program, and once it is approved and ruled to be mandatory, it can be rolled out throughout the entire military.