Publications

Artificial Intelligence in the U.S. Military Health System: Forging a New Frontier for Clinical Care and Efficiency 

ABSTRACT

The Military Health System (MHS) has historically been at the forefront of innovation in medicine and science, but it has also historically struggled to implement battlefield innovations or civilian technologies for wider domestic use. Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative force in health care with civilian health systems and institutions at the forefront of these innovations.

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Health Policy and Health Services Terry Adirim Health Policy and Health Services Terry Adirim

Changes in body mass index and behavioral health among adolescents in military families during the COVID-19 pandemic: a retrospective cohort study

Abstract

Background: Widely published findings from the COVID-19 pandemic show adverse effects on body mass index (BMI) and behavioral health in both adults and children, due to factors such as illness, job loss, and limited opportunity for physical and social activity.

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Child Health Publications Terry Adirim Child Health Publications Terry Adirim

Association of Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Analogue Use With Subsequent Use of Gender-Affirming Hormones Among Transgender Adolescents

Abstract

Importance: Gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue (GnRHa) use during puberty improves mental health among transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) adolescents. In previous studies, most (96.5%-98.1%) TGD adolescents who started GnRHa subsequently started gender-affirming hormones (GAH), raising concerns that GnRHa use promotes later use of GAH.

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Child Health Publications Terry Adirim Child Health Publications Terry Adirim

Continuation of Gender-affirming Hormones Among Transgender Adolescents and Adults

Abstract

Introduction: Concerns about future regret and treatment discontinuation have led to restricted access to gender-affirming medical treatment for transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) minors in some jurisdictions. However, these concerns are merely speculative because few studies have examined gender-affirming hormone continuation rates among TGD individuals.

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Child Health Publications Terry Adirim Child Health Publications Terry Adirim

Preventing Home Medication Administration Errors

Medication administration errors that take place in the home are common, especially when liquid preparations are used and complex medication schedules with multiple medications are involved; children with chronic conditions are disproportionately affected. Parents and other caregivers with low health literacy and/or limited English proficiency are at higher risk for making errors in administering medications to children in their care.

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Child Health Publications Terry Adirim Child Health Publications Terry Adirim

Mental Healthcare Utilization of Transgender Youth Before and After Affirming Treatment

ABSTRACT

Objective: Transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) adolescents experience increased mental health risk compared to cisgender peers. Limited research suggests improved outcomes following gender-affirmation. This study examined mental healthcare and psychotropic medication utilization among TGD youth compared to their siblings without gender-related diagnoses and explored utilization patterns following gender-affirming care.

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Health Policy and Health Services Terry Adirim Health Policy and Health Services Terry Adirim

Turn Intention Into Action

Abstract

To build and maintain an effective, agile force that is ready at a moment’s notice to deploy for national security missions, the US military must recruit approximately 150,000 new personnel annually while adhering to stringent medical standards. Given a target recruitment population of young adults ages 18–24, the health of the nation’s children is critical to US national security.

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The Emerging Pandemic of Coronavirus and the Urgent Need for Public Health Leadership

There is ample precedent for public health officials directing the control of emerging pandemics. Perhaps most notably, in the early 1960s, Alexander D. Langmuir, MD, Director of the Epidemic Intelligence Service and Epidemiology Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began to work closely with Donald A. Henderson, MD, Chief of the Virus Disease Surveillance Program at the CDC.

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A Military Health System For The Twenty-First Century

Abstract

The Military Health System is one of the largest integrated health care systems in the United States. It is composed of a “direct care” system of military treatment facilities managed in a federated manner by the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Defense Health Agency and a “purchased care” component that consists of a network of health care providers managed through TRICARE.

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Child Health Publications Terry Adirim Child Health Publications Terry Adirim

Principles of Pediatric Patient Safety: Reducing Harm Due to Medical Care

Pediatricians render care in an increasingly complex environment, which results in multiple opportunities to cause unintended harm. National awareness of patient safety risks has grown since the National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) published its report “To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System” in 1999.

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Child Health Publications Terry Adirim Child Health Publications Terry Adirim

Pediatric Medication Safety in the Emergency Department

Pediatric patients cared for in emergency departments (EDs) are at high risk of medication errors for a variety of reasons. A multidisciplinary panel was convened by the Emergency Medical Services for Children program and the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Pediatric Emergency Medicine to initiate a discussion on medication safety in the ED.

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Health Policy and Health Services Terry Adirim Health Policy and Health Services Terry Adirim

Development of a pediatric quality measure set for the military health system 

Abstract

The Military Health System (MHS) is an integrated health care system composed of direct care and purchased care that serves over 9.4 million beneficiaries including 2 million children. The current MHS quality measures dashboard includes few measures specific to children and may not reflect the needs of military children.

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Health Policy and Health Services Terry Adirim Health Policy and Health Services Terry Adirim

Pediatric Readiness in Indian Health Service and Tribal Emergency Departments: Results from the National Pediatric Readiness Project

Abstract

Introduction: In 2014, 45 Indian Health Service (IHS)/Tribal emergency departments serving American Indian and Alaskan Native communities treated approximately 650,000 patients of which, 185,000 (28%) were children and youth younger than 19 years. This study presents the results of the National Pediatric Readiness Project (NPRP) assessment of the 45 IHS/Tribal emergency departments

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