Bioterrorism and Health System Preparedness: Assessing Hospital and Health System Preparedness and Response

Slide Presentation by Helen Burstin, M.D., M.P.H.

On May 1, 2002, Helen Burstin, M.D., M.P.H., made a presentation in a Web-assisted teleconference at Session 3, which was entitled "Assessing Hospital and Health System Preparedness and Response."

This is the text version of Dr. Burstin's slide presentation. Select to access the slides or to access the streaming video of Bioterrorism and Health System Preparedness.

Assessing Hospital and Health System Preparedness and Response

Helen Burstin, M.D., M.P.H.
Director
Center for Primary Care Research
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

Slide 1

Current State of Health Care System Preparedness

• October 2001: Anthrax event has prompted many systems to analyze real time responses and revise systems and plans.
• Lessons learned from field exercises and simulations.
• States currently preparing regional plans to respond to HHS/HRSA funding.
• Health services and health systems research to date: what do we know and need to know?

Slide 2

Health Care System: At-Risk Clinical Areas

• Primary care.
• Need for IT decision support systems for diagnosis and disease management.
• Home care/Long-Term care.
• Long-Term impact of mass casualties on facilities, equipment and personnel.
• Emergency Department.
• Ability to adequately surge capacity for mass casualties.
• Acute and Intensive care of critically ill:
• Availability of ICU equipment and personnel.

Slide 3

Health Services and Health System Research Needs

• Reinforce effective linkages between the health care system and the public health infrastructure.
• Address issues of surge capacity, including outcomes and cost to hospitals and health systems.
• Examine the impact of workforce and market forces on capacity and the effect of regional models of care.
• Conduct and disseminate needs assessment data related to system capacity for a bioterrorist event.
• Develop models (e.g., regional plans, prophylaxis and immunization systems), that work and can be exported to State and local areas.

Slide 4

Using Health Systems Research to Address Key Issues

Surge Capacity:

• Facilities (ED, ICU, Long-Term care, home care).
• Equipment (vaccines, monitors, ventilators).
• Personnel (nursing staff, EMS, cross-training).

Workforce Issues:

• Best methods to train healthcare workforce.
• Deployment of adequately trained providers (e.g., mass prophylaxis and immunization).
• Cross-training of the workforce.
• Use IT effectively to enhance provider readiness.

Slide 5

Regionalization of Healthcare Services

• Organ Transplant regional models.
• Cardiac Care models.
• Department of Veteran Affairs and Department of Defense systems.
• Need for more research.

Slide 6

Challenges Facing Rural Providers

• Distance and access to 24/7 public health infrastructure support, including epidemiologists and labs.
• Limited community of providers for consultation and collaboration for response to a mass casualty event.
• Lack of electronic connectivity and decision support tools for diagnosis and disease management of rare diseases.

Slide 7

Downstream Benefits of Community Readiness for Bioterrorism

• Long overdue redesign of systems, including ED and hospital systems of care.
• Enhanced IT and decision support for front-line clinical providers.
• Enhanced electronic connectivity and communication between health care and public health systems.
• Established contacts and trust between providers/public-private partnerships/networks within local communities for improved patient care.

Current as of June 2002

Internet Citation

Assessing Hospital and Health System Preparedness and Response. Presentation by Helen Burstin at Web-Assisted Teleconference, "Bioterrorism and Health System Preparedness: Emerging Tools, Methods, and Strategies." Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/news/ulp/bioteleconf/session3/burstin2txt.htm

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