An Evidence Based Approach to Designing Medical Support for Long Duration, Interplanetary Missions

ABSTRACT CONTACT The Exploration Medical Capability (ExMC) element is one of six elements under NASA’s Human Research Program (HRP). The goal of the ExMC element is to address the risk of the “inability to adequately recognize or treat an ill or injured crewmember.” This poster highlights the evidence-based approach that the ExMC element has taken to address this goal, and the ExMC element’s current areas of interest. To address the broad risk of the inability to adequately recognize or treat an ill or injured crewmember, the element identified medical conditions of concern for exploration missions. The conditions were gathered from several sources •Spaceflight medical incidents •Conditions on the Shuttle medical checklist •Conditions on the International Space Station (ISS) medical checklist •Expert opinion There are currently eighty-five conditions on the condition list approved by NASA’s Space Medicine Division. The conditions were prioritized by a panel of flight surgeons, physician astronauts, engineers, and scientists based on incidence, consequence, and mitigation capability. The condition list is a “living document” •New conditions can be added to the list •The priority of conditions on the list can be adjusted as screening, diagnosis, or treatment capabilities change From the prioritized condition list, the ExMC element annually determines the capabilities needed to address the medical conditions of concern. Where such capabilities are not currently available, a gap is identified. The ExMC element currently identifies gaps in the following areas •Validation of Medical Standards •Risk Quantification •Risk Mitigation •Monitoring and Treatment of Conditions of Concern •Enabling Capabilities The Exploration Medical Capability (ExMC) element is charged with reducing the risk of the “inability to adequately recognize or treat an ill or injured crewmember” during an exploration mission. To address this risk, the element must •Define requirements for crew health maintenance •Develop treatment scenarios •Extrapolate from the scenarios to health management modalities •Evaluate the feasibility of these modalities •Develop technology and informatics that will enable the availability of medical care and decision systems •Novel medical screening technologies •Delivery of medical training to non-clinicians •Autonomous medical procedure systems •Noninvasive diagnostic imaging •Smart ventilators and oxygen concentrators •Minimally invasive laboratory capabilities •Stabilization and treatment of bone fractures •Wound care and wound closure •Advanced dental care •Intravenous fluid generation •Inventory tracking for medications and other consumables •Medication stability and shelf-life preservation •Biomedical monitoring capabilities •Medical data management systems •Prevention and treatment of radiation sickness NASA’s Human Research Program (HRP) conducts research and develops technologies that allow humans to travel safely and productively in the environment of space. The HRP is comprised of six elements •International Space Station Medical Project •Space Radiation •Human Health Countermeasures •Exploration Medical Capability •Behavioral Health & Performance •Space Human Factors and Habitability The National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) is a partner with the HRP in developing a successful human research program. Human Research Program Site http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/ humanresearch/ Human Research Roadmap http://humanresearchroadmap.nasa.gov/ Human Research Wiki http://humanresearchwiki.jsc.nasa.gov/ Sharmi Watkins, MD, MPH ExMC Element Scientist Sharmila.Watkins@NASA.gov Tammie McGrath ExMC Element Manager Tammie.L.McGrath@NASA.gov