Managing Swine Influenza: the technology approach - Dr Jean Challiner, Clinical Solutions
28 April 2009: “Whilst healthcare agencies and international communities are now better prepared to deal with the threat of public health incidents such as the current swine influenza outbreak, the rate at which the virus has the potential to spread will test our ability to put plans into action.
“In an emergency situation traditional access to healthcare is not always an option and in a Pandemic situation, healthcare resources that cope at other times will be overwhelmed.
“Unprecedented health and security incidents are, by their nature, unpredictable and we must be prepared for every eventuality and be ready to use new ways and means of managing the situation.
“Making available the right tools to support patients and healthcare professionals, as well as ensuring that there is the ability to collect and analyse information gathered, is an essential part of forward planning - and this is where technology can lend a hand. Some healthcare provider organisations around the world have been using such tools for several years and based on this experience, are developing multi-channel pandemic servives to provide rapid web and telephony based assessment, direction of care, advice, guidance, and where appropriate, authorisation of antiviral medicine treatment to the general public in the case of a domestic outbreak.
“Whether technology is utilised to streamline symptom assessment or to manage a pandemic outbreak, access to credible health information via the Internet enables government and healthcare organisations to act at the right time and in the right way to health incidents. Preparation is everything – having the tools to react quickly and effectively to these situations can really make the difference between life and death.”
