ALLIED JOINT DOCTRINE FOR MEDICAL COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS (MedCIS) (ED A Ver 1; To obtain please contact your national Defense Standardization Office or the NATO Standardization Office website: http:/ so.nato.int so@ Phone: +32 (0)2 – 707 5
"Aim The aim of this document is to describe a concept of MedCIS for Allied combined/ joint operations that is consistent with the principles and policies that necessitate medical data transfer and aggregation@ while taking into account the development of multinational operational integration. Management of medical data and information is a fundamental aspect of medical support. Adequate documentation of medical care given@ health status and location of personnel and environmental threats is part of a continuum of patient treatment and care@ and is therefore@ a medical responsibility. NATO Principles and Policies of Medical Support (MC 326/3) notes that: ""At all times@ nations remain the risk owners; therefore they retain their legal duty of care as an employer of their military. However@ upon Transfer of Authority@ the NATO commander shares that responsibility. Increasingly@ due to national capability shortfalls@ medical support is delivered via multinational solutions@ gradually shifting responsibility more to the NATO commander."" Now more than ever@ the NATO Force Commander must have access to medical information on the health and status of the force. To achieve the NATO Commander's objectives@ MedCIS principles will be considered and applied throughout an operation or campaign. Proper application of these principles will ensure that MedCIS contain the essential elements needed to effective function under a wide variety of conditions. Thus@ a functioning MedCIS is critical to enabling the NATO Commander to achieve the mission."