Medical care of military personnel during conflict and routine situations in civilian hospitals

Israel’s civilian health care system doubles as military medical facilities, providing soldiers with care during both conflict and routine times. Previous scholarship indicates that despite medical personnel’s high professionalism and positive intentions, they are not immune to the effects of social and political behaviours that potentially affect patient care. Looking at the way soldiers perceive their care in civilian hospitals in Israel, this article asks in what ways does the nature of conflict affect servicemen/women’s perception of care in the civilian medical system. Using mixed-methods (quantitative and qualitative data), the article concludes that satisfaction with care is affected both by how it is measured (quantitative vs. qualitative evaluation) and by the nature of conflict (HIC vs. routine). Explanations include the reality during HIC situations, how civilian medical staff views soldiers, as well as civil-military relations in Israel. Further research is needed to understand these findings in depth.