Disaster

Intense stress can severely degrade one's ability to process and utilize new kinds of information.1 This psychological phenomena may partially explain why epidemiologist are challenged to communicate and establish the value of SyS information with emergency management professionals (EMPs). Despite the timely and useful insights that SyS data and methods can provide, it is very difficult to convey what these data are when EMPs and epidemiologists are working to make intense, highly-scrutinized and high-consequence emergency decisions. If state and local authorities want emergency plans and responses that benefit from the powerful insights that SyS can provide, epidemiologists need to learn how to best report information and establish a strong rapport before emergencies strike. Over the past ten months, ISDS’s NSSP’s Syndromic Surveillance and Public Health Emergency Preparedness, Response and Recovery (SPHERR) Committee has worked to identify gaps, potential best practices, document use cases, and identify tools for integration of SyS data in EM activities. During SPHERR practice exchange meetings, SyS professionals have consistently cited effective communication between SyS staff and emergency preparedness staff as a top priority in integrating SyS more fully into all phases of emergencies.

Objective: Identify and document strategies that enhance the value of syndromic surveillance (SyS) data and information for the response, recovery, mitigation and preparedness needs of local and state emergency management professionals in the U.S.

The role of public health in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from emergencies has expanded as a result of the massive impact recent disasters have had on affected populations. Nearly every large-scale disaster carries substantial public health risk and requires a response that addresses immediate effects of the disaster on a population (e.g., mass casualties and severe injuries, lack of shelter in severe weather), as well as subsequent secondary physical effects (e.g., carbon monoxide poisoning due to improper operation or location of carbon monoxide-producing devices such as generators) and emotional effects (e.g., grief, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder) caused by the disaster. Disaster epidemiology has been identified as an evolving field that integrates a variety of data sources and technological and geospatial resources to expedite reporting and to increase the accuracy of information collected and used by emergency planners and incident managers. As the national organization that supports the activities of applied epidemiologists in state, tribal, local, territorial, and federal public health agencies, the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) assembled a Disaster Epidemiology Subcommittee of public health experts and practitioners from diverse fields of applied epidemiology to discuss the use of epidemiologic methods in all phases of the disaster management cycle. In 2012, the Subcommittee assessed state-level disaster epidemiology capacity with a focus on surveillance. 

Objective

The panel will discuss the current status of disaster surveillance capabilities at local and state health departments in the United States and will provide an overview of current resources available to epidemiologists for surveillance.

Emergency management during a disaster entails innumerable challenges. Each disaster uniquely shapes the types and timing of information needed both to manage the disaster and to measure the impact on available resources, the environment, and community systems. Traditional public health surveillance methods typically preclude providing a real-time, comprehensive estimate of public health impacts related to the disaster while the disaster is unfolding. Traditional methods can also be resource intensive, costly, require active cooperation of medical systems involved in a disaster response, and are often conducted post-disaster.

Syndromic surveillance of emergency department chief complaints and over-the-counter medication sales was reinstituted in the Austin area in the fall of 2010. In 2011, the Austin area was hit with three natural disasters: a winter ice storm; a summer of extreme heat/extended drought; and a week of significant wildfires. Each disaster varied greatly in type, size, intensity, and duration. The Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department, in partnership with Austin/Travis County EMS, was able for the first time to provide near-real time data to emergency managers on the potential health impact during each of the 2011 disasters using the syndromic and EMS electronic data systems. The data were used to provide situational awareness and guide selected response actions during the course of the disaster, as well as, document potential areas for future mitigation efforts.

Objective

Using case studies of three natural disasters that occurred in the Austin, Texas Metro area in 2011, demonstrate the role syndromic surveillance and emergency medical services data played during the response to each different type of disaster.

In 2011, March 11th, the big earthquake attacked eastern Japan, and forced a lot of people to live in evacuation sites. Since those evaluation sites have high density of population and sanitary condition was poor in these sites, outbreaks of influenza, noro virus or other infectious diseases were concerned.

Objective

For an early detection and control of an infectious disease outbreak, we developed and have been operating syndromic surveillance for evacuation sites, "evacuation site surveillance."

In 2011, March 11th, the big earthquake attacked eastern Japan followed by huge tsunami and nuclear plant accident. Consequently a lot of people could not help living in evacuation sites. Since those evaluation sites have high density of population and were not necessarily good in sanitary condition, outbreaks of influenza, norovirus or other infectious diseases were concerned.

Objective

For an early detection and control of an infectious disease outbreak, we developed and have been operating syndromic surveillance for evacuation sites, "evacuation site surveillance."