Read two pages and call me in the morning

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Solomon Cook
  • 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
With the constant rotation of cold, flu and allergy seasons, common ailments can send a flood of Airmen to the clinic. To aid the 325th Medical Group is a new program in place giving patients the power to diagnose themselves, and find the necessary over-the-counter medications to start on the road to recovery.


The Self-Initiated Care Kit class is taught each Thursday at the Health and Wellness Center. At the conclusion of the class, students receive a card and a book that allows them to bypass seeing a doctor to for non-life-threatening conditions.


"SICK is a patient focused program, designed to educate and empower patients to make diagnostic and treatment decisions on certain symptoms they may have," said Capt. Preston Wilson, 325th MG medical director staff physician." It's generated in books called 'Take Care of Yourself' and 'Take Care of Your Child'. It was set up initially because 85 percent of our visits can be solved with over-the-counter medicine."


This program, funded by medical groups, is an attempt to increase accessibility to medical care.


"It is an Air Force wide program bases are trying to implement to help patients educate themselves," Preston said. "At the same time, it improves access for those who really need to see medical professionals. Where it becomes mainly beneficial is where we have in influx of patients at the time of year for allergy, flu and cold seasons."


The book based on an algorithm dependent of their symptoms. At certain times, it will tell patients which type of medicine is needed, turn to another page to continue diagnosis or see a physician, Preston added.


In addition to the increased control of medical treatment, the book also has health tips.


"There is a lot of preventative information in the SICK book as well," said Catherine Scharping, 325th Medical Group registered nurse disease manager. "The book looks at things such as not smoking, exercise, diet, nutrition, weight control, alcohol moderation, avoiding injury and professional prevention in the first chapter. As a disease manager, my job is all about helping patients with chronic illness to make lifestyle modifications for their benefit."


A book for diagnosing children, in conjuncture with the SICK program, 'Take Care of Your Child' starts with health issues beginning in the womb. It also covers psychological issues such as, what to expect when taking children to the doctor for the first time, Scharping added.


With medicine and technology constantly evolving, where there is an app for everything, it is reassuring to know that if Airmen have an illness, there's a page for that.


For more information and to enroll in the class, contact the orderly room at (850) 283-7000.