ABSTRACT

The United States Department of Defense (DoD) manages the world's largest healthcare system1 and has been instrumental in the development of healthcare innovations. During the Civil War, the first Ambulance Corps was formed to transport wounded soldiers rather than postpone treatment until a medic arrived.2 The Civil War also marked one of the first instances when military personnel used telecommunications technology to transmit healthcare informa­ tion; the telegraph was used to send messages about casualties and to request medical supplies.3 Since then, various telecommunications technologies have been used in the military with the same overall goal as the first Ambulance Corps, to increase access and decrease the waiting time to healthcare treatment.