FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Transcription

1 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 1. What is the Post-Deployment Health Reassessment (PDHRA)? The PDHRA Program is a force health protection process designed to enhance the deployment-related continuum of care. Targeted at three to six months post return from a contingency operation to a combat zone The PDHRA Program provides education, screening and a global health assessment to Identify and facilitate access to care for deployment-related o physical health o mental health o re-adjustment concerns. 2. Why is this program being offered now? Health and adjustment concerns may not be noticed immediately after deployment. In subsequent months post-deployment, concerns may surface ranging along a continuum of severity. While effective health care and adjustment counseling services are available, Soldiers may be unfamiliar with navigating the various systems of care. The PDHRA is designed to identify conditions that emerge and facilitate access to services for a broad range of post-deployment concerns. 3. What is the similarity between this program and other medical readiness programs? As with other medical readiness programs, the PDHRA is a commanders program; commanders are charged with ensuring that Soldiers are provided this opportunity and are encouraged to fully participate in the program. 4. What are the key elements to the PDHRA? The Key elements of the PDHRA include: Outreach Education and training o Education is important for issues that emerge outside the screening timeframe o Leaders, Soldiers, and clinicians are educated on the PDHRA process, commonly occurring signs and symptoms, available benefits and how to access those benefits o Effective education to gain leadership support, Soldier participation, and optimal clinical practice is critical to program success. Screening and assessment - Screening is conducted to identify current concerns Evaluation - Quality assurance and program evaluation are planned to assess implementation effectiveness and program success. Treatment Follow-up

2 5. How will the screening and assessment be accomplished? Screening and assessment are accomplished using standardized questions for Soldier screening and standard assessment procedures administered by primary care providers. 6. How will treatment and follow-up be handled? Treatment and follow-up are arranged on a continuum of care model building on Department of Defense (DoD) and VA partnerships. The continuum ranges from community based support and preclinical counseling to referral for treatment in primary care, specialty care or rehabilitative care when warranted. Behavioral health providers are being increased in primary care settings in the military healthcare system to increase timely access to low-stigma care. Follow-up procedures will reduce potential barriers to access. 7. Why do we need a new program? The PDHRA is designed to enhance and extend the deployment-related continuum of care. Deployment health concerns are assessed immediately at the end of deployment through the Post Deployment Health Assessment (PDHA). The PDHA also includes education, a benefits briefing, a self-report questionnaire, and an interview with a healthcare provider. However, not all health concerns present at this single point in time; and Soldiers focused on going home may be reluctant to report concerns at this time. Readjustment issues will not emerge until the service member re-enters their work and family environment. After the Soldier has time to reflect on their deployment and postdeployment experiences, they may be in a better position to identify concerns, questions, and issues they wish to discuss with a healthcare or other service provider. 8. Isn t the PDHRA only a self-administered questionnaire? The PDHRA is a process that does include completion of a series of questions. These questions have been drawn from standard, established methods of screening. The questionnaire provides a structured way to collect information for the provider to use in their assessment and to provide all Soldiers with the same opportunity to formulate questions and concerns in their mind before meeting with the healthcare provider. The concerns identified on the questionnaire are then discussed in a oneon-one visit with a trained healthcare provider. Even for Soldiers who have no questions or concerns, education about commonly experienced concerns and avenues to access care will arm the Soldier with tools they need to identify and seek care for issues that surface at any time, even if they are not present at the precise time the screening is conducted.

3 9. Is the PDHRA available for everyone, regardless of their component or service? The PDHRA is offered to Active Duty, National Guard, Reserve Soldiers and those who separate from military service after return from a contingency deployment. Every attempt is made to make the process convenient and easy to complete. A web form has been developed to allow for ease of completion; and a call center has been established to provide tele-healthcare services for those who live at a distance from a unit or healthcare setting. 10. Is the PDHRA a mandatory program? It is a mandatory process for all current active and reserve component Soldiers. How much or how little information they disclose about their concerns, of course, cannot be mandated. Obviously, Soldiers who are no longer a part of the military have the option to participate, but cannot be required to do so. 11. What information do Units need to provide to schedule a PDHRA screening event? To schedule an On-Site Event, provide: Unit Name: Unit UIC: REFRAD date: Number of PAX: Unit Location: (where PDHRA screening will take place, to include city, state and zip) Drill weekend or AT Days: Unit level POC: (Soldier who will be present at PDHRA screening (Name, and phone number) This person will further coordinate with the PHDRA teams for their scheduled visit. Unit Commander name and address To schedule a Call Center Event, provide: Alpha Roster of unit personnel to include: Name, Rank, SSN, Phone numbers, addresses and home address. Date that you wish the screenings to begin POC for the screenings for questions/issues (usually the UA) (name, , and phone number) Commander or Unit representative who has signature authority to sign any LOD s (name, , phone number, mailing address) Unit Commander name and address 12. For on-site screening events, should Soldiers complete their portion of DD Form 2900 online beforehand? NO! If Soldiers fill the online form out before the on-site event, it will result in multiple DD Form 2900s with no way to match their responses up. It will also trigger the Call Center to reach out to the Soldier, even though they have already been screened, wasting both the Soldier s time and the Call Center s resources.

4 13. How do Unit Commanders track referrals and LODs generated during PDHRA On Site Event? The PDHRA reports in MEDPROS do not include by-name referral data due to HIPAA concerns. However, the PDHRA on-site screening teams provide Unit Commanders with a copy of all LODs they generated, giving the Unit Commanders, or their designated representatives, visibility of all screened Soldiers requiring a referral. Additionally, the screening team will provide the Unit Commander with a roster of all Soldiers that completed the PDHRA screening. This spreadsheet is a by name roster that includes whether or not the Soldiers received a referral and what type of referral. This spreadsheet is an essential resource for Commanders or State PDHRA Care Coordinators for tracking PDHRA referrals and resulting LODs. 14. How do Unit Commanders track referrals and LODs generated during PDHRA Call Center Event? If a Soldier completes the PDHRA screening through the Call Center and it is determined that a DA 2173 is required, a copy of the DA 2173 is faxed or mailed to the Unit Commander for signature and then returned to the Call Center for distribution to the Soldier, Unit, and filing at the Call Center. 15. How does the LOD process work during PDHRA? The DA Form 2173s resulting from the PDHRA screening process are unique. They are essentially a sick-call slip good for one visit with a Primary Healthcare Provider or a Primary Behavioral Health Provider. They only require a Commander s (or designated representative) signature for the Soldier to receive treatment. If a Soldiers desires referral to a VA facility, the signed DA 2173, a copy of the DD Form 2900, and a copy of the Soldiers DD Form 214 is required for an appointment. If the Soldier desires referral through the TRICARE network, a MMSO authorization must be obtained prior to making a referral appointment, in the same fashion as the standard LOD process. Regardless of where the Soldiers seeks their referral appointment, if after the initial visit, the Primary Care Provider determines that follow-on care is necessary and that the Soldier s condition is potentially deployment-related, a new DA Form 2173 is required following the standard LOD process. 16. My unit does not have enough Soldiers for an on-site event or enough telephone lines to use the Call Center during a drill weekend. How do I get my Soldiers screened? Unit commanders in this scenario may have their Soldiers complete their portion of the DD Form 2900 (pages 1-3) online on AKO during drill. This will allow the Commander to monitor their compliance. Once the Soldier clicks Submit, the Call Center will attempt to contact the Soldier within 1 week. If the Call Center contacts the Soldier, but it is not a good time for the Soldier to complete the screening, the Soldier can reschedule and the Call Center will call them back at that time. Prior to the next drill, Commanders (or their designated representative) can look up the UIC in MEDPROS and determine which Soldiers still have not completed the screening. They can then instruct those particular Soldiers to contact the Call Center during drill. This approach will minimize the impact to the Soldier s personal time, while ensuring command oversight and 100% compliance.

5 17. What benefits do Soldiers have through the VA and what is required to access a VA Medical Facility? For all Veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) there is a 2-year eligibility window for VA care. In other words, for ailments or injuries (physical or mental) incurred as a result of the combat deployment, there is a presumption of in-the-line-of-duty for a period of two years after redeployment or demobilization, during which time the soldier can seek care thru VA Medical facilities. Soldiers MUST present a copy of their DD Form 214 when scheduling appointments at the VA.