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Information Technology Systems for Critical Care Triage and Medical Response During an Influenza Pandemic: A Review of Current Systems

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 August 2013

Kristofer Bandayrel ,
Stephen Lapinsky  and
Michael Christian
Kristofer Bandayrel*
Affiliation:
Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, and the School of Nutrition, Ryerson University
Stephen Lapinsky
Affiliation:
Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto
Michael Christian
Affiliation:
Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to Kristofer Bandayrel, BASc (Hons), School of Nutrition, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria St, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada (e-mail kbandayr@ryerson.ca).
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Abstract

Objectives

To assess local, state, federal, and global pandemic influenza preparedness by identifying pandemic plans at the local, state, federal, and global levels, and to identify any information technology (IT) systems in these plans to support critical care triage during an influenza pandemic in the Canadian province of Ontario.

Methods

The authors used advanced MEDLINE and Google search strategies and conducted a comprehensive review of key pandemic influenza Web sites. Descriptive data extraction and analysis for IT systems were conducted on all of the included pandemic plans.

Results

A total of 155 pandemic influenza plans were reviewed: 29 local, 62 state, 63 federal, and 1 global. We found 70 plans that examined IT systems (10 local, 33 state, 26 federal, 1 global), and 85 that did not (19 local, 29 state, 37 federal). Of the 70 plans, 64 described surveillance systems (10 local, 32 state, 21 federal, 1 global), 2 described patient data collection systems (1 state, 1 federal); 4 described other types of IT systems (4 federal), and none were intended for triage.

Conclusions

Although several pandemic plans have been drafted, the majority are high-level general documents that do not describe IT systems. The plans that discuss IT systems focus strongly on surveillance, which fails to recognize the needs of a health care system responding to an influenza pandemic. The best examples of the types of IT systems to guide decision making during a pandemic were found in the Kansas and the Czech Republic pandemic plans, because these systems were designed to collect both patient and surveillance data. Although Ontario has yet to develop such an IT system, several IT systems are in place that could be leveraged to support critical care triage and medical response during an influenza pandemic. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2013;7:287-291)

Keywords

information technologypandemiccritical care triage
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 7 , Issue 3 , June 2013 , pp. 287 - 291
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2013 

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