IT improving preparedness for public health emergencies

Today, we live in a world filled with endless possibilities for both natural, health and terrorism emergencies. Public health preparedness is a key ingredient to making sure our communities are ready to deal with the many tragedies that could easily become a part of our futures- natural disasters like earthquakes, hurricanes and floods; environmental degradation resulting in climate change refugees and drastically shifting weather conditions; health issues ranging from flu pandemics, regions with endemic cholera, malaria and HIV/AIDS prevalence, to new zoonotic diseases; political upheavals like civil war, and finally terrorist attacks ranging from chemical and biological warfare to 9/11 like incidents. These are not small matters, but how are we preparing ourselves for them?

It appears that information technology is playing a significant role in keeping us informed and encouraging us to be prepared. Keeping track of weather reports and following evacuation and alert signals allows us to move quickly and step out of the way of natural disasters coming in our direction. More and more, various states have begun to establish specific e-health preparedness portals to encourage people to keep themselves informed. For example, the Iowa Department of Public Health has started a an Office for Health Information Technology to lead a collaborative effort to plan and promote the use information technology in their public health planning. They have developed a vision, guiding principles and a framework for how health information can be exchanged through public-private partnerships that allow more efficient public health project management.

Similarly, the Vermont Department of Health has established an E-Ready module for public health preparedness to provide resources for families, information about biological, chemical and weather related threats, response plans, a list of response partners, as well as volunteer opportunities and any other information related to Vermont public health preparedness.

E-health endeavors such as these are paving the way for more states within the US to adopt e-friendly technology and resources that make keeping track of threats and responding to them in a timely and safe manner an efficient process that acknowledges the need for communities to prepare themselves adequately, as a priority.