General Medical Officer (GMO) Manual: Administrative Section
Sick in Quarters (SIQ)
Department of the Navy
Bureau of Medicine and Surgery
SIQ defined
Sick in quarters (SIQ) should be used when the medical condition or injury is such that inpatient care is not
required to return the patient to a full or limited duty status. However, the condition is such that the member should not, on basis of sound professional judgement, return to duty immediately. While SIQ, the member is permitted to remain in quarters, barracks, or in a non-hospital setting for 24 hours to a maximum of 14 days. Even though the phrases sick in quarters and binnacle list are used interchangeable, sick in quarters is the more appropriate term.
Responsibilities
The attending medical officer is responsible for the patient and must document when the patient must report back to the MTF or sickcall, either by telephone or in person. The health care provider should be specific as to what symptoms warrant immediate return to the military treatment facility (MTF). As a minimum, the patient must be reevaluated within 24 hours of being placed SIQ. Additionally, the member must be reevaluated before returning to duty upon expiration of the SIQ period. If a member is of such condition that you do not feel a 24-hour follow up is necessary, you may recommend a period of convalescent leave suitable to the condition. This is especially true in conditions that are of a contagious nature.
Monitoring SIQ Recommendations
A mechanism must be established within the MTF or command to review and monitor each SIQ recommendation exceeding 72 hours, both for administrative and clinical appropriateness. The commanding officer must be appraised each time one of their members is placed SIQ. Ordinarily requiring the member to report to his or her command before going SIQ meets this requirement.
Active duty pregnant service members may be placed SIQ. This is known as "OB-Quarters."
References
- OPNAVINST 6000.1
- NAVMEDCOMINST 6320.3
- BUMEDINST 6300.2
- MILPERSMAN 3020380
- MILPERSMAN 3810170
Reviewed by LCDR Robert A. Rahal, MSC, USN, Assistant Specialty Leader for Patient Administration, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Washington, D.C. (1999).