Medical Surveillance for a Soldier Centered Battlespace Awareness

摘要

Recent advances in sensor technologies have enabled a net centric view of the battlespace, substantially increasing situational awareness for the warfighter. However, this net centric awareness has yet to be extended to the status of the warfighters themselves. Medical technologies have progressed to the degree that portable, rugged, and wireless designs can be conceived of that could give coalition commanders and medical personnel a view of the health and well-being of their troops. This could give coalition forces a distinct advantage in both urban operations and more traditional force protection situations, allowing them to place the right resources in the best location well ahead of the usual indicators. These kinds of technologies would enable coalition commanders to make informed choices about when and where to send their troops, and how many may be prepared for the next mission. In the era of 'just in time' force delivery, this capability will enable the best use of coalition forces in the events and actions that they are likely to face in the future. This paper will discuss the latest technologies under development that can be applied to the medical surveillance problem. In addition to technologies for the individual soldier, information delivery and display at the level of the commander and senior medical personnel will be discussed. As sensor presence on the battlefield increases, so does the need to manage and control the flow of information to enable the most effective decision making. It is only through the integration of the field-based picture with the conditions and status of the warfighter that commanders will have a truly integrated vision of the battlespace.