Abstract

Diagnostics remains to be an important and vital capability of any deployed field hospital or surgical team, particularly for teams that find themselves deployed in the most remote locations, such as Mali. The DRGo gives the British military a portable radiography solution. Completely digital, it provides an instantaneous X-ray for clinicians to review. A 6-month period between Dec 21 and Jun 22 saw 29 full X-ray examinations completed with a 50% split between those patients being referred for imaging in the firm base and those referred whilst out on patrol. With no deployed radiologists on the ground, the ability to obtain radiologist reports is pivotal to the patients’ subsequent treatment pathway. X-rays and CT scans were uploaded back to the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine for reporting through the help of Project Lara. Project Lara brings together several separate innovation capabilities to deliver a better improved telemedicine solution. It gives Defence Medical Services personnel the ability to request support or transfer medical information whilst deployed in the field via secure communication systems. The project utilises a SATCUBE satellite terminal, essentially a portable WiFi hotspot. When setup, it allows for a high-speed broadband connection of around 10mbps in less than a minute. Used in conjunction with the secure messaging app, Pando, complete radiologist reports were received back from the UK often in less than one hour of uploading the initial X-rays. A natural fit, the deployed Radiographer took on the role of the communications lead and demonstrated how well the two roles could combine in future remote Operations.