Insufficient data sharing hobbles Army's efforts to track suicide risks, report says

The Army cannot easily track conditions that can lead to suicide among troops -- including alcohol and drug abuse, or multiple prescriptions for anti-anxiety or antidepressant drugs -- because its information systems are incomplete and incompatible, according to a report released on Thursday.

The report, titled "Health Promotion, Risk Reduction and Suicide Prevention," said misconceptions about the restrictive nature of data privacy laws, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and the Privacy Act, complicate efforts to share soldiers' medical data with their commanders.

The study cited the case of an unidentified soldier whose suicide shocked members of his unit because they not know he was taking six medications or that he had been receiving clinical and medical treatment for depression since 2004.

Commanders need better situational awareness of risk or stress indicators for soldiers under their command to facilitate intervention such as disciplinary, administrative and medical actions, researchers said.

Comprehensive data can inform commanders about the outcomes of these interventions and any future actions that might be required, the report noted.

Stovepiped data systems preclude commanders from obtaining the kind of information they need to help troops stressed by multiple deployments, drug abuse or family problems.

For example, the Army Criminal Investigation Command's investigative and intelligence system collects information on soldiers who have used illegal drugs as does the Army Substance Abuse program's drug and alcohol management information system, but no correlation exists between the databases to provide a comprehensive picture of an individual's case.

Managers of systems that contain information on soldiers' physical and emotional health view their databases as proprietary, the study said, which inhibits data sharing.

Misconceptions about the release of medical information under privacy laws make commanders reluctant to ask health care providers for information about a soldier in distress, the report said. But researchers quickly pointed out that a unit commander is entitled to results of drug tests and information on the effect of prescription medications on a soldier's fitness for duty.

The report recommended the Army develop Web portals with links to multiple databases that would flag troops engaged in risky behavior or in need of assistance.

In addition, the study advocated the development of Web-based dashboards that provide timely information about the overall health and risk factors affecting a command. These dashboards should include law enforcement, medical and community service data, researchers said.

The dashboards also should graphically display information about key events that can help officials identify soldiers who might be engaging in high-risk behavior, the report said, and track actions taken to mitigate risk and analyze results.