Utilization of Military Sick Call Screeners

Policy and guidance for the Military Sick Call Screener Program is contained in BUMEDINST 6550.9B

The primary goal of the Military Sick Call Screener Program is to provide timely, quality care for active duty personnel with minor medical conditions. Screeners are not to function as independent providers. They must work under the direct supervision of a medical officer who is responsible for the care they provide.

The following guidelines must be followed:

1. The SOAP format must be used when evaluating a patient. This will include the history, physical examination, assessment, and treatment.

2. The Military Sick Call Screener will consult with the supervising medical officer prior to the patient leaving the treatment facility. Military Sick Call Screeners will have 100% of their records reviewed by the supervising medical officer and countersigned.

3. A screener may order a CBC and urinalysis. Any other studies must be ordered by the supervising MO/PA/IDC.

4. Screeners must realize their limitations and immediately refer to an MO/PA/IDC any patient with one of the following conditions:

   1. Febrile illness with temp. exceeding 101° F.

   2. Acute distress such as, breathing difficulties, chest pain, acute abdominal pain, suspected fractures, lacerations, etc.

   3. Altered mental states

   4. Unexplained pulse above 120 per minute

   5. Unexplained respiratory rate above 28 or less then 12 per minute

   6. Diastolic blood pressure over 100 mm Hg

   If any uncertainty or doubt in the assessment of the patient's medical condition exists, refer to your medical officer. Also, if any patient presents with the same complaint twice in a single episode of care, he must be referred to a medical officer for evaluation and treatment. The only exception is patients returning for routine follow up of a resolving acute minor illness or injury.

5. All prescriptions written will be signed by the supervising MO/PA/IDC.

Hospital Corpsman Sickcall Screeners Handbook

Naval Hospital, Great Lakes

April, 1999

Approved for public release; Distribution is unlimited.

The listing of any non-Federal product in this CD is not an endorsement of the product itself, but simply an acknowledgement of the source. 

Operational Medicine 2001

Health Care in Military Settings

*This web version is provided by The Brookside Associates Medical Education Division.  It contains original contents from the official US Navy NAVMED P-5139, but has been reformatted for web access and includes advertising and links that were not present in the original version. This web version has not been approved by the Department of the Navy or the Department of Defense. The presence of any advertising on these pages does not constitute an endorsement of that product or service by either the US Department of Defense or the Brookside Associates. The Brookside Associates is a private organization, not affiliated with the United States Department of Defense.

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