Skip to main content

Military Health System

Test of Sitewide Banner

This is a test of the sitewide banner capability. In the case of an emergency, site visitors would be able to visit the news page for addition information.

DHA releases App to Support Service Member Recovery

Image of Infographic for the Antidepressant Adherence app. The Antidepressant Adherence app focuses on improving medication compliance ( Photo by: DHA Connected Health).

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 13% of Americans take some form of antidepressant.

From that population, it is expected that nearly 50% of those individuals will prematurely stop taking their medication. To combat any relapse that may occur when stopping a mental wellness treatment plan, the Defense Health Agency recently released the Antidepressant Adherence mobile application.

The Antidepressant Adherence app supports those taking medication, and works to ensure that military beneficiaries receive the support they need to continue on their mental wellness journey. With this mobile app, patients can learn the long-term benefits of their medication, and the risks that can occur when medication is abruptly stopped.

"For some patients, being on a mental wellness journey can be confusing," explained Air Force Maj. (Dr.) David Quackenbush, developer and adolescent medicine physician for Cadet Medicine at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. "The Antidepressant Adherence app focuses on improving medication compliance, allowing patients to customize their medication experience, and opening a line of communication between the patient and provider. A mental wellness treatment plan is a joint effort, and this app is a great digital asset for the patient and provider."

The Antidepressant Adherence app includes features such as:

  • Beneficiary education information about the medications and their side effects
  • A calendar to keep track of medication compliance
  • Alerts for beneficiaries when to take medication and when refills are needed
  • Aids to help beneficiaries in tracking moods
  • Access to national crisis lines to call or text for immediate support

Military Health System providers and staff can leverage the Antidepressant Adherence app to monitor patients through patient notes, improve medication education, and encourage patients to stay engaged with their mental wellness treatment plan. Patients can also feel confident that they are receiving current and evidence-based information and support lines.

"The app can be easily installed from wherever patients install apps and is easy to use," said Army Lt. Col. (Dr.) Amit Gupta, psychiatrist and Behavioral Health Chief at Keller Army Community Hospital and Installation Director of Psychological Health at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York. "As a provider, it takes a couple of minutes to set it up for the first time for your patient and add their first medication. From there, the app will remind them to take their medication, offers a wealth of information about their medications, as well as allows the patient to add feedback related to missed doses and side effects. If you're looking to improve medication adherence, or to at least discover issues with medication adherence, this app is an easy way to help your patient."

This free app is available through multiple smartphone application stores, and was developed to work with the patient's modern lifestyle. As digital health becomes more prevalent, the app can be a key tool for patients. From the profile section, patients can easily adjust medication, customize medication alerts that work with their schedule, track all appointments, and include provider information.

Because the app is password protected, patients can feel secure journaling their reactions to their medication and write down why they missed a dose of their medication.

By improving engagement and medication compliance, the MHS is working to provide optimal healthcare for ensure service members, while also improving overall force readiness.

You also may be interested in...

Military Health System Confronts Stigma Surrounding Mental Health Care

Article
6/6/2023
Military Health System Confronts Stigma Surrounding Mental Health Care

Stigma can be a barrier to a service member seeking support for their mental health. Recognizing mental health as part of overall health and changing attitudes are keys to addressing it.

Virtual Medical Center Awarded for Ground-Breaking Technologies

Article Around MHS
6/6/2023
Zekelia Rembert and Anna Moore, virtual health nurse care coordinators, coordinate virtual health projects and outline participating military hospitals and clinics at the Virtual Medical Center in Fort Sam Houston, Texas, on May 16, 2019. Virtual health nurse care coordinators train nurses at varying military hospitals and clinics while providing each nurse with 3.5 hours of continued education. Moore created the program. (Photo by Jason W. Edwards, U.S. Army)

The Virtual Medical Center at Brooke Army Medical Center will be recognized for four groundbreaking programs at the 2023 FORUM Information Technology Innovation Awards on June 7 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Space Force Details Holistic Health Approach, Continuous Fitness Assessment Study

Article Around MHS
6/5/2023
The U.S. Space Force becomes the first service component to use wearables to keep track of their Guardians fitness and other measures of readiness, with the introduction of the holistic health approach. (Graphic by U.S. Space Force)

The U.S. Space Force is implementing a holistic health approach for uniformed Guardians, including a voluntary two-year continuous fitness assessment study to assess and validate a new fitness concept using wearable devices for the service.

Confidential Mental Health Resources Available to Military Families

Article
5/31/2023
Confidential Mental Health Resources Available to Military Families

“Checking in on your mental health can be as easy as making an appointment with a mental health professional, such as a therapist or psychiatrist – and that can be done face to face or virtually,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Anna Fedotova, mental health flight commander, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico.

Mental Health Stigma Campaign Will Be New Hub of Hope

Article
5/31/2023
Mental Health Stigma Campaign Will Be New Hub of Hope

The Real Warriors Campaign expanding via partnership with the Defense Suicide Prevention Office.

Building DHA Network Took ‘Massive Amount of World-Class Engineering’

Article
5/31/2023
Building DHA Network Took ‘Massive Amount of World-Class Engineering’

How do you take almost 400 military hospitals and clinics, over 398,000 users, half a million medical devices, and 9.5 million beneficiaries, from four different networks, and combine them into one sustainable system?

Walter Reed Expert Shares Five Ways to Prioritize Mental Health

Article Around MHS
5/26/2023
Dr. Diaz discusses the importance of mental fitness with U.S. Army Pvt. 2 Kaliyah Rowan at the Mental Fitness Information table during Staff Resiliency Week at Walter Reed. Diaz says prioritizing mental health is key to building resilience, and shared five ways staff members can do just that in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month. (Photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Jesse Sharpe, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center)

In today's fast-paced health care environment, it's more important than ever to prioritize mental health to build resilience, and in honor of National Mental Health Awareness Month and Staff Resiliency Week at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Dr. Kristine Diaz, a personnel psychologist, shares five ways staff members can prioritize their mental health to unlock resilience.

Effective Health IT Reduces Burnout, Improves Patient Care

Article
5/25/2023
Effective Health IT Reduces Burnout, Improves Patient Care

Information technology and its intersection with military health care was at the forefront of a key discussion at the annual Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society conference, held in Chicago, Illinois, from April 17 to 21.

DHA Senior Leader: ‘Virtual First’ is the Future of Military Health System

Article
5/25/2023
DHA Senior Leader: ‘Virtual First’ is the Future of Military Health System

The Military Health System needs to invest in culture change to truly put the patient first.

5 Tips To Start a Conversation About Getting Mental Health Care

Article
5/24/2023
5 Tips To Start a Conversation About Getting Mental Health Care

“How are you?” It’s a question almost everyone answers every day. Like most, your usual response is probably, “Fine, thanks. How are you?” But if you really think about it, are you fine? Maybe you haven’t been yourself in a while. You’re feeling sad, stressed, lonely, or just not how you want to feel. You’d like to start feeling better but aren’t sure where to start.

New Mental Health Care Initiative Improves Access to Care and Readiness

Article Around MHS
5/22/2023
A room plaque for the 341st Operational Medical Readiness Squadron mental health flight is pictured inside the base clinic June 23, 2021, at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana. The mental health flight offers mental health services to active duty members and manages the Family Advocacy and Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment programs. (U.S. Air Force photo by Heather Heiney)

For more than a year, the Air Force Medical Service has been rolling out Mental Health Targeted Care, an initiative that helps Airmen and Guardians understand all of the available options for support and connects them to the right resource either in a mental health clinic or outside the military hospital with another supporting agency that best meets their need.

Changes in Behavior, Personality or Mood Following Concussion/mTBI Fact Sheet

Fact Sheet
5/22/2023

This TBICoE fact sheet can be used by health care providers to educate patients with a concussion, or mild TBI, on how to manage changes in mood related to their injury. Patients and caregivers would also find this information useful.

Targeted Care Pilot Aims to Match Demand for Mental Health Care

Article
5/17/2023
Targeted Care Pilot Aims to Match Demand for Mental Health Care

The DHA Targeted Care Pilot deployed to 10 sites in April 2023. The pilot, lasting six months, aims to alleviate the strained mental health system by matching service members to the care they need—wherever they are on a spectrum of mental health issues. Following the pilot, DHA will review results for the purpose of further refinement, continuation, and potential expansion.

Imaging Specialists Look Beyond the Skin

Article Around MHS
5/10/2023
U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Leila Liza Smith, a diagnostic imaging specialist with the 6th Medical Group, practices abdominal ultrasound procedures at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, on ct. 25, 2022. Smith evaluates the images produced by the ultrasound for abnormalities, such as lumps or nodules on the thyroid gland. (Photo by U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Lauren Cobin)

Diagnostic imaging specialists are medical professionals that use imaging equipment and soundwaves to form images of many parts of the body, known as ultrasounds. They are trained to acquire and analyze these sonographic images so that doctors can diagnose and treat many medical conditions.

Defense Occupational and Environmental Health Readiness System – Hearing Conservation (DOEHRS-HC)

Fact Sheet
5/8/2023

The Defense Occupational and Environmental Health Readiness System – Hearing Conservation (DOEHRS-HC) is an information system designed to support personal auditory readiness and help prevent hearing loss through early detection.

Page 1 of 22 , showing items 1 - 15
First < 1 2 3 4 5  ... > Last 
Refine your search
Last Updated: January 24, 2023
Follow us on Instagram Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on YouTube Sign up on GovDelivery