Field Evaluation of an Electronic Battlefield Combat Casualty Medical Data Collection Device (MEDTAG)

Paper-and-pencil approaches to medical documentation, when used in the battlefield, often fail to provide adequate casualty injury and treatment records. To address this problem, the effectiveness of an automated field medical data collection device, named MEDTAG, was evaluated. Results of the study demonstrated that the MEDTAG device could significantly reduce documentation times when compared to the current manual method Field Medical Card, DD Form 1380 FMC. Furthermore, the accuracy and completeness of information gathered with the MEDTAG was comparable to the FMC in the area of injury data and superior to the FMC in the areas of treatment, patient condition, and patient disposition. MEDTAG, Field medical card, DD Form 1380, Automated field medical data collection.