The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #73088

Ronald D. Deprez, PhD, MPH, Public Health Research Institute, 120 Exchange Street, Portland, ME 04101, 207-761-7093, rdeprez@phrg.com, Richard K. Thomas, PhD, Health Management Associates, 1378 Goodbar Avenue, Memphis, TN 38104, Gary Cattabridga, BS, Director of Information Technology, Public Health Research Insitute, 120 Exchange Street, Potland, ME 04101bridge, and Paul Kuehnert, MS, RN, Director, Division of Disease Control, State of Maine, State House Station 11, Augusta, ME 04333-0011.

Billions of dollars and major restructuring of public health processes will ultimately be devoted to bioterrorism preparedness at the national, state and local levels. The requirements of preparedness demand the kind of collaboration between medicine and public health called for in the RWJ-funded 1997 report by the New York Academy of Science. Yet the collaboration required for establishing local disease detection and monitoring systems involves a complex process because of issues of technology, clinical needs, data confidentiality, ongoing training and treatment and follow-up protocols.

Recently PHRG developed a prototype of a local health care collaborative solution to disease detection, surveillance and health alerts that goes beyond the current NEDSS and Health Alert Network (HAN) framework and relies on a true partnership between private and public health domains. Starting at the local hospital(s), the collaboration extends to local public health agencies, private providers, the EMS system, and the state. The obstacles to the success of this system are great and varied—for example software technology, data sharing, agreement on detection and treatment protocols, etc. The processes required to overcome the numerous and varied barriers consist of trust building through early assessment, detailed planning, establishing clinical importance, identifying funds and, most important, identifying the value proposition for each stakeholder.

This paper describes PHRG’s recent experiences with the development of statewide public/private collaboration in Maine in support of disaster preparedness/disease surveillance. We will outline the process and its accomplishments at the session, highlighting consensus building, planning, prototype development, implementation and sustainability.

Learning Objectives:

• To introduce participants to the challenges facing the healthcare system as we progress toward geographic based health preparedness systems.
• To make participants aware of the importance of coordination between public and private healthcare entities in the development of real time disease detection and surveillance communication system.
• To a concrete example of a process of bringing public and private healthcare agencies provide together to develop a state-of-the-art disease detection communication system
• To outline a process that can be used in other states and localities.

Keywords: Bioterrorism, Communication

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.