Page 74 - Journal of Special Operations Medicine - Winter 2014

Figure 3 Reported average amount of time SFMS spent each Figure 6 SFMS’ reported importance of sustaining various
week sustaining medical skills. medical skills to performing their duties.

Figure 4 Reported average amount of time respondents
intended to spend each week maintaining their medical skills.
Outcome Evaluation
SFMS rated their perception of outcome evaluation be-
tween quite confident and extremely confident at 4.52
(95% CI 4.45–4.60), which suggests they felt that sus-
taining their skills would lead to an improved ability to
provide medical care (Figure 7).
training. There was no significant difference among Figure 7 SFMS’ reported confidence that sustaining their
these skills. Cultural and language skills were the only medical skills will improve their ability to deliver medical care.
skills that SFMS felt were less than “quite important,” as
compared to the other skills (Figure 5).

Within the specific areas of medical training, SFMS re-
ported that sustaining surgical, obstetrics/gynecology,
acute medical, physical therapy, preventive medicine,
and pediatric skills were all above quite important, and
the majority of areas were evaluated as moderately im- Subjective Norm
portant or greater (Figure 6).
SFMS reported that their peers value and support their
Figure 5 SFMS’ reported relative importance of sustaining sustainment training and that the opinion of their peers
the various skills to performing their duties. about their medical skills is important to them (Figure
8). Similarly, SFMS reported that medical supervisors and
their Command also value the capabilities SFMS contrib-
ute to the organization and support the sustainment of
their medical skills (Figures 9 and 10). Support from the
Command, however, appears to be perceived as only fo-
cusing on meeting minimum credentialing requirements
(3.72, 95% CI 3.60–3.84), as support for sustaining skills
beyond the minimum credentialing requirements was
perceived as significantly lower than for meeting creden-
tialing requirements (2.83, 95% CI 2.70–2.96).

Perceived Behavioral Control

Control beliefs
SFMS reported that they have between slight and mod-
erate control over their medical sustainment training

64 Journal of Special Operations Medicine Volume 14, Edition 4/Winter 2014