New tools to anticipate disasters, epidemics, flu outbreaks.
Researchers at the Johns Hopkins National Center for the Study of Preparedness and Catastrophic Event Response (PACER) in Baltimore, MD, have unveiled three new web-based tools that hospitals, EDs, and public health authorities can use to help them prepare for surges related to disasters, epidemics, and seasonal flu outbreaks. The prediction models, including EMCAPS 2.0, Surge, and FluCast, are designed to give health care administrators a better idea of anticipated patient volumes as well as the number and types of injuries that are likely to result from specific disaster scenarios. The web-based tools are being made available free of charge. Users just need to register and establish an account on the PACER website. Further refinements to all three tools are planned as user feedback is collected and results are assessed.
D022126:Access to Information; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000379:methods*; D058872:Epidemics; D006801:Humans; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055872:Surge Capacity; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology