The patient flow of marine disease and nonbattle injury conditions within a multi-echelon system of care

Hospitalization data were extracted for Marines who incurred disease and no nbattle injuries in Vietnam from 1965 through 1969, and the inter-echelon m ovement of each patient who was hospitalized at an echelon II or III facili ty was tracked until the treatment was completed or until the patient was m oved to a continental U.S. facility. The inter-echelon flow of treatment fo r different types of diagnosis categories was also examined. Results showed that approximately three-fourths of the patients admitted to echelon II or III facilities had no further treatment recorded at a higher echelon of ca re. Less than one-fifth of the patients required treatment at an echelon IV or echelon V facility. Of the major diagnostic categories, those with infe ctive or parasitic diseases had the lowest percentage of patients treated a t echelon IV or V facilities.