Health
Disaster response tool aids in pinpointing alternate sites for care
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Aug. 16, 2004
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality unveiled a new tool in late July to help state and local officials quickly locate alternate health care sites if hospitals are overwhelmed by patients due to a bioterrorism attack or other public health emergency.
The alternate care site selection tool is being shared with emergency response planners at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.
In the aftermath of this type of emergency, hospitals may be faced with a sudden influx of patients. The new alternative care site selection tool is designed to allow regional planners to locate and rank potential alternative sites -- stadiums, schools, recreation centers, motels and other venues -- based on whether they have adequate ventilation, plumbing, food supply and kitchen facilities, for example.
Available as an Excel spreadsheet, the new tool was produced by Denver Health, one of AHRQ's Integrated Delivery System Research Network partners. The network links the nation's top researchers with some of the largest health care systems to conduct fast-track research on cutting-edge issues in health care.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2004/08/16/hlbf0816.htm.
