A Model for Nationwide Patient Tracking
Abstract
The events of Hurricane Katrina raised awareness of the need to track patients nationwide. As patients were transferred out of the region quickly, they often could not be located by family members or the evacuating facilities, which caused psychological and operational stress for all those involved. The literature shows that a nationwide patient tracking system does not exist today, and by putting patient tracking at the forefront of preparedness, challenges during response will be minimized. The researcher used grounded theory to gather data through a series of interviews that explored what an ideal nationwide patient tracking system would look like, when information should be shared, what data is necessary to ensure a useful system, where data is available, and who will be given access to the data. The interviews resulted in the development of a national system composed of 17 localized modules. The individual modules need to be constructed and maintained by individual entities, such as public health, the military, law enforcement, and human services, while the effort itself requires a champion to organize the collaborative undertaking a role emergency management agencies can readily fill.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA509336
Entities
People
- Nicole M. Quinn
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School