Introduction
The Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) information system is an essential element of the US military activities due to its thorough focus on document-sharing activities and the possibility to exchange the latest updates from the field among fellow members of the military. From flow sheets to complete medical records, TCCC end-users have an opportunity to take a quick glance at the battlefield and make collective conclusions regarding the most appropriate interventions that could reduce all kinds of casualties (Butler, 2017). Real-time physical examinations and results of laboratory tests could have a significant impact on the outcomes of any given battle. This ultimately shows how staff members can apply the TCCC to ensure that healthcare services are provided in a timely manner, and serious injuries are either avoided or treated quickly. The TCCC can be described as one of the most potential-driven information systems across the US military because of its innovative nature and quite a few groundbreaking features (Butler, 2010). Swift decision-making is another benefit of the TCCC that can be associated with optimal care provision and respective data processing operations.
Networking, Communications, and Security
Networking and communication occur within the TCCC when the problem of battlefield trauma care has to be addressed from multiple perspectives. This may be achieved only through the interface of outlining and storing the needs of different stakeholders that have access to the given information system. In a sense, the TCCC offers a personalized experience that still has to be in line with the general guidelines and exclusive curricula designed by the military officials (Butler et al., 2017). Combat medical providers have to be trained adequately in order to engage in effective communication and utilize available information systems in a way that could help them promote networking as well. On the other hand, communication and networking across the US military could be supported via evidence-based practices included in the TCCC (Tien et al., 2008). Relevant knowledge facilitates the process of communication and makes it possible for the members of the military to follow the guidelines without revisiting them too often. Every new recommendation that is designed by combat care specialists and other military experts is tested within the TCCC environment to see if the outcomes of battles could be improved through digital interventions.
As for the concept of security, it is achieved by the TCCC with the help of system guidelines that are based on past evidence and the presence of publications that have covered specific security issues in the past. It shall be crucial to notice that the TCCC methodology requires applications to contain at least basic protection measures that could affect the hospital and prehospital settings in a manner that would facilitate data processing and storage as well (Milham et al., 2017). The high prevalence of sensitive information cannot be ignored by the US military because certain unaddressed threats could reduce the effectiveness of interventions that are already in place and also damage the civilian sector. Thus, security within the TCCC is achieved via state-of-the-art technologies that often stem from the field of trauma care and revolve around the need to come up with groundbreaking recommendations (Nemeth et al., 2021). Even though communication, networking, and security tend to overlap, it should be included in the best-practice guideline that each of these three pillars has an equal impact on the health outcomes achieved on the battlefield.
The Impact of TCCC on Users and Organizations
The impact of the given information system on end-users and respective military organizations can be deemed as huge due to the fact that the number of threatening events keeps increasing on a daily basis. From active shooter incidents to criminal violence and terrorist bombings, the US military tends to cope with situations where the civilian sector is also endangered by the inability of warfighters to ensure enough protection (Rasmussen et al., 2017). Therefore, the TCCC information system impacts a variety of organizations and end-users through the interface of different initiatives that contribute to joint efforts and make it easier for the US military to coordinate its operations. The TCCC courses also tend to prevent trauma in the members of the military, allowing the staff to alter practices and inspire change in the area of civilian trauma. The pioneering nature of the given information system makes it safe to say that new interactions between developers and end-users are necessary in order to advance military medicine and protect warfighters from both evident and intangible threats (Kotwal et al., 2017). Therefore, the TCCC information system is moved forward by effective stakeholder communication and the presence of joint efforts.
A Competitive Analysis of the TCCC
One important element of the TCCC that differentiates it from other similar information systems is the existence of joint medical planning tools. The latter can be utilized by respective end-users to assess potential casualties and ensure that enough medical resources will be expedited to the required area (Butler et al., 2017). The increasing impact of artificial intelligence and big data is also visible since the TCCC can be utilized to assess different scenarios and engage in evidence-based decision-making. The current gaps in planning and battlefield orientation can be narrowed by means of the TCCC because it accounts for every warfighter and requires responsible military staff to monitor vitals and resource availability (Butler, 2017). Information systems similar to the TCCC represent the future of military training because proactive approaches to preventing casualties and a developed technology ecosystem could significantly facilitate resource allocation. Even though most of these initiatives are not immediate opportunities, the capability of engaging individuals in lifelong learning and personalized training makes the TCCC stand out against other military information systems.
Recommendations
The first essential recommendation that can be made on the basis of the existing information is to utilize the TCCC to achieve improved human performance optimization. This concept relates to the problem of developing a military system where human resources are perceived as something more important than hardware. For example, some of the essential problems that could affect members of the US military are depression, anxiety, and stress (Butler, 2017). In addition to the psychological problems linked to the battlefield, human performance optimization could also touch upon physical and social elements of human existence. There are multiple instances of evidence on the subject of human performance that suggest that complex daily tasks or challenging relationships with others could be monitored to prevent the staff from burnout and suicidal ideation (Butler et al., 2017). Even though there is no direct way to assess human resiliency and the force of persevering, the TCCC could be set up in a way allowing to mediate a person’s wellness and prevent occupational health issues from happening through different measurements and analyses.
Another recommendation that could have a viable effect on the beneficence of the TCCC information system is the introduction of more practical applications of programs related to human health and its assessment. The current state of affairs in the military suggests that human resources are critical for the efforts aimed at the probability of reducing the occurrence of combat trauma (Milham et al., 2017). In a sense, the Department of Defense could address the lack of human resources by means of taking a more practical approach to the military staff and optimizing their wellbeing in a proactive manner. Despite the inability to read all the psychosocial vitals of a member of the military staff, information systems such as the TCCC should comprise multiple expert instruments assisting the responsible actors in focusing on soldier wellness and program outcomes (Butler, 2010). In this case, the program stands for a detailed practical application of the TCCC information system in an attempt to focus on the opportunities for improvement and continue developing a people-centered approach to the military. This notion will be connected to preparedness and leadership via passive and active wellbeing surveillance systems.
The ultimate recommendation that can be made in relation to the TCCC information system is to invest in an improved system of translating real-time combat trauma evidence into a higher rate of warfighter survivability. The idea here should be to monitor personal protective equipment and assess the possible gaps to introduce improvements on the fly without having to face exceptional monetary expenditures (Rasmussen et al., 2017). Real-time descriptive and quantitative data on active body coverage and the quality of protection could become a decisive factor on the battlefield. Not only could it have warfighters engage in fewer instances of possibly lethal combat, but it would also provide the US military with enough background evidence on the topic of how soldiers could contribute to the creation of equipment requirements and the equipment itself (Nemeth et al., 2021). All the mission needs have to be included in the TCCC as well because data-induced needs are ever-changing and combat injuries also tend to vary irrespective of military staff expectations. Therefore, the future of the US military depends on the translation of the existing evidence into factual insights that could be utilized to reduce casualties.
Conclusion
One of the key reasons why the TCCC information system is still affecting the US military in a positive way is the presence of numerous benefits related to decision-making leadership. There are certain limitations that have to be addressed by researchers to make the information system even more comprehensive. Nevertheless, the overall trend is that real-time combat data can be valued and utilized by the US to approach the problem of care and come up with a variety of solutions based on data processing and artificial intelligence. As an information system that was developed to help the US military reduce battlefield casualties, the TCCC represents an innovative technology that relies on the need to limit casualties as well. Thus, both the office staff and individuals on the battlefield get a chance to access tactical medical information and communicate much more effectively. The need for training and improved leadership behaviors can be explained by the current research agenda, which is fixated on the proper integration of TCCC into more areas of the US military interventions.
References
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