Skip to Main Content
An official website of the United States government

Periodic Health Assessment

The Periodic Health Assessment (PHA) Form (DD-3024) is an annual assessment that service members complete as part of the military's Individual Medical Readiness Program. Beginning in 2016, the PHA is mandated annually, and 834,445 forms have been collected for 197,059 (22%) service members in the Military Aviators Cancer Study (MACS).

The annual self-assessment form is used to evaluate service members' current medical conditions, behavioral health, mental health, preventive health care services, and readiness to deploy. The form is split into three parts: A. a self-assessment; B. record review and comments; C. medical assessments. The second part focuses on the completion and validity of information on the form. The third part is a thorough review and summary of the self-assessment, along with referrals for further education and/or follow-up medical appointments and services.

Of the 235,451 MACS service members with demographic and occupational records between 2017 and 2024. 197,059 (84%) Service members completed at least one DD-3024 PHA form. Amongst individuals who filed a PHA form, 174,548 (89%) of those service members filled out the PHA form in subsequent years. In 2018, 71% of all service members completed a PHA form, and the compliance rate increased gradually each year, with more than 75% of service members completing the form in 2023 (the last full year of data available).

NOTE: When using information from the PHA it is important to acknowledge that responses to the questionnaire are self-reported information. Furthermore, since collection protocol began in 2016, only 22% of service members have form responses. Because the form responses are collected from 2016 through 2024, the respondents tend to be younger than the general MACS cohort, while cancers and non-cancer conditions disproportionately affect older individuals.

Summary

  • 197,059 (22.0%) service members completed at least one form
  • Annual data from service members
  • Compliance rate of 70-75% per calendar year
  • The form has three sections:
    • Self-Assessment
    • Form completeness review
    • Medical review and summary

Variables

  • Medical History and Readiness:
    • Medical conditions
    • Surgical History
    • Medical devices (e.g., glasses)
    • Burn pit exposure
    • Limited duty
    • Medical readiness for deployment
  • Family History:
    • Cancer
    • Heart-Related Conditions
    • Diabetes
  • Behavioral Health:
    • Life Stressors
    • Addictions (gambling, alcohol (Audit-C))
    • PTSD screening (PCL-C)
    • Depression Screening (PHQ-8)
    • Suicide Risk evaluation
  • Lifestyle:
    • Physical Activity
    • Smoking History
    • Use of Supplements (e.g., multivitamins, protein powders)
    • Food frequency questionnaire
  • Women's Health (pregnancies, screenings)
  • Referrals:
    • Primary Care
    • Specialist (e.g., audiology, dermatology)
    • Mental Health
    • Dental
    • Substance Abuse
    • Supplemental Services (e.g,. family support)