Medical Rehabilitation Program: 2. Effects on Basic Training Graduation Rates

A Medical Rehabilitation Program MRP to provide treatment and management of relatively severe acute injuries was implemented at the Recruit Training Command, San Diego. The program was designed to modify limitations of prior treatment protocols for musculoskeletal injuries and the psychosocial environment of the medical care setting. The effect of MRP on graduation from basic training was examined by comparing the graduation rate for recruits referred during the first 8 months after MRP implementation with the graduation rate for recruits experiencing similar medical conditions during the prior year. A 42.2 improvement in the graduation rate from 23.8 to 66.0 was observed for the MRP. Estimated cost savings based on the number of unproductive training days range from 418K to 574K per 10,000 recruits trained per year. Conservative estimates of cost savings range from 331K to 487K per 10,000 recruits trained after adjustment for projected annual costs for implementing the program. Attrition, Military recruits, Military medicine, Physical rehabilitation.