Beyond the After-Action Review: Expert Consensus for Military-Civilian Pandemic Planning

Abstract Objective The study objective was to compile and rate expert-informed recommendations to enhance US Military Health System (MHS) pandemic preparedness, with implications for large civilian health systems and national preparedness. Methods A Modified Delphi process was used to assess the importance and feasibility of pandemic preparedness recommendations from Department of Defense (DoD) after-action reports and inspector general reviews. The process consisted of a pre-work phase and 4 rounds of panelist engagement. Panelists rated each recommendation on both importance and feasibility using a Likert scale. Results Thirty panelists participated in the interview round, 21 completed the first round of asynchronous rating, 15 participated in the second round of consensus rating, and 14 attended the final consensus conference. The Delphi process began with 102 recommendations; at completion, 25 recommendations were rated high importance and high feasibility. Recommendations addressed key domains including support to civil authorities, public health emergency management, personnel, and policy. Conclusions The 25 highest-rated recommendations highlight key areas for enhancing MHS planning for future pandemic preparedness, such as civilian-military coordination, telehealth expansion, and supply chain resilience. While tailored to the MHS, the findings highlight critical areas relevant to civilian health systems and national preparedness, including public health measures, interagency coordination, and resource management.