Physical Profiling Performance of Air Force Primary Care Providers
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine the test performance of primary care providers (PCPs) in screening for occupational limitations and ascertain if predictors existed to augment PCP screening. This study was a cross-sectional, retrospective medical records review of active duty U.S. Air Force (AF) members receiving care in an AF medical treatment facility (MTF) between October 31, 2013, and September 30, 2014, who had at least one encounter with their primary care team. An independent medical standards subject matter expert (SME) reviewed encounters in the electronic health record and determined whether duty, fitness, and/or mobility restrictions were indicated. PCP dispositions were obtained from archival data as were service member age, sex, job category, and years of military service. Encounter-related archival data included diagnosis; encounter type (Periodic Health Assessment [PHA] versus non-PHA); associated laboratory, radiology, and specialty consult orders; and provider type. Nonparametric and parametric models were used to identify variables associated with SME-identified occupational limitations and PCP-SME disagreement on occupational limitations. The proportion of participants identified as having occupational limitations significantly differed between the PCP and the SME. PCP screening test performance differed by encounter type and was generally better for PHA encounters. Overall, the models of SME-identified occupational limitations were comprised of a small number of predictors, and the performance of the models was generally fair. The models of PCP-SME disagreement did not find any strong and consistent associations across restriction types, and the overall performance of the models was only poor to fair.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 09, 2017
- Accession Number
- AD1038609
Entities
People
- Anthony P. Tvaryanas
- Brandon M. Greenwell
- Genny M. Maupin
- Valarie M. Schroeder
- William P. Butler
Organizations
- United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine