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File: 970101_sep96_decls4_0017.txt
Subject: OFFICE OF THE SURGGEON GENERAL AFTER ACTION REPORT ODS
Unit: OTSG
Parent Organization: HSC
Box ID: BX003205
Folder Title: OTSG OBSERVATIONS AND LESSONS LEARNED
Document Number: 2
Folder Seq #: 9
UNCLASSIFIED
1. (TI) Lesson learned submitted by DASG-DC, John E. King,
AVN 923-3657, (301)677-3657, 05/10/91.
2. (U) TITLE: Dental records on operation Desert shield/storm
3. (U) OBSERVATION: Dental care provided individuals in the
Desert Shield/Storm theater of operations was documented on a
variety of forms and formats. Many were kept in a "log" format,
with dental care for many individuals documented on a single
sheet of paper. Paper used varied from the prescribed SF 603A
form to paper of any available size and shape. The format of
entry was frequently inconsistent with good continuity of care
for the patient and would not serve well for legal documentation.
There was no standard procedure for return of temporary dental
records to the dental record custodian for transfer into the
permanent Health - Dental Record.
4. (U) DISCUSSION: The Health - Dental Record is not carried
with the individual nor the unit into a theater of operations.
AR 40-66 prescribes that temporary records be maintained on SF
603A at field locations and the information transferred back to
the permanent dental record when the temporary record is returned
to the dental record custodian. There is little or no guidance
in field operations doctrine concerning dental record management
during field operations. It was reported that a number of
reasons accounted for the problems with dental records. In at
least one situation, priority of loads for transportation
required that parts of dental equipment sets be left behind. The
decision to leave the "administrative" part of the set in favor
of required treatment equipment and supply resulted in SF 603A
being left behind. Unfamiliarity with providing dental care in
an operational environment may have resulted in the variation in
recording according to standards provided in TB MED 250.
5. (U) LESSON LEARNED: Doctrine and training are needed to
improve the quality of dental record management on field
operations.
6. (U) RECOMMENDED ACTION: The U.S. Army Academy of Health
Sciences should revise doctrine to provide guidance on dental
record management in operational environments, and dental
readiness training at all levels should include experience in
dental record management.
7. (U) CO, TS: The importance of good quality dental records
is equally important in the operational environment as in the
fixed facility environment. Is some cases, soldiers future
benefits are dependent upon documentation of dental and oral
conditions that are documented in these records.
UNCLASSIFIED
ey
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Document 24 f:/Week-36/BX003205/OTSG OBSERVATIONS AND LESSONS LEARNED/office of the surggeon general after action repo:1224960931165
Control Fields 17
File Room = sep96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-36
Box ID = BX003205
Unit = OTSG
Parent Organization = HSC
Folder Title = OTSG OBSERVATIONS AND LESSONS LEARNED
Folder Seq # = 9
Subject = OFFICE OF THE SURGGEON GENERAL AFTER ACTION REPO
Document Seq # = 2
Document Date =
Scan Date =
Queued for Declassification = 01-JAN-1980
Short Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Long Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Permanent Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Non-Health Related Document = 01-JAN-1980
Declassified = 24-DEC-1996