To help planners develop a public health emergency contact center that is
highly integrated with public health agencies, the Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has funded development of a report and
an interactive tool set.
Select to Download Information.
AHRQ's Health Emergency Assistance Line and Triage Hub (HEALTH) Model, developed
by researchers at Denver Health Medical Information Centers under an AHRQ contract,
is designed to minimize surges in patient demand on the health care delivery
system
during
a bioterrorist event or other public health emergency. The report helps planners
determine the requirements, specifications, and resources needed for developing
an emergency contact center such as the HEALTH model.
A companion to the report is the Contact Center Assessment Tool Set, which
will calculate the amount of your constituent population that may try to reach
your public health agency during a bioterrorism or emergency event.
The tool set allows for minimal input, as well as fine-tuning input that will
make the calculations more applicable based on the specifics of your agency,
especially your current operational and technological infrastructure and your
capability to field public inquiries.
Download Information
Health Emergency Assistance Line and Triage Hub (HEALTH) Model
The full report of the HEALTH model can also be downloaded as a PDF file.
The HEALTH interactive tool is available in both Web and Excel versions. Your
browser may support downloading the report and Excel version of the tool from
this page by using the links below. Right click on the link and then select "Save
Target As" (Internet
Explorer) or "Save Link As" (Firefox™ or Netscape®). The Web version
of the tool set is online only.
Bioterrorism Research Portfolio
The Denver HEALTH Model is one of more than 50 studies, workshops, conferences,
and other resources funded under the Agency's bioterrorism research portfolio.
AHRQ sponsors research that provides the evidence base for tools and resources
needed in bioterrorism planning and response. For more information, go to:
http://www.ahrq.gov/prep/.
More Information
If you have any questions
about AHRQ's bioterrorism and health system preparedness program, contact:
Dr. Sally Phillips
Director, Public Health Emergency Preparedness Program
Center for Primary Care, Prevention, and Clinical Partnerships
Phone: (301) 427-1571
E-mail: Sally.Phillips@ahrq.hhs.gov
Current as of March 2005
Internet Citation:
Health Emergency Assistance Line and Triage Hub (HEALTH) Model. March 2005. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/research/health/