Disaster+Management

=Disaster Management Resources=

[|Lessons from KatrinaHealth]

This report was published in June 2006. It is an excellent case study for the use of ICTs in a disaster.

From the Introduction:

//KatrinaHealth was an online service that was established to help individuals// //affected by Hurricane Katrina work with their health professionals to gain access// //to their own electronic prescription medication records. Through a single portal,// //KatrinaHealth.org, authorized pharmacists and doctors were able to get// //records of medications evacuees were using before the storm hit, including the// //specific dosages. Having this information helped evacuees renew their// //medications, and helped healthcare professionals avoid harmful prescription// //errors and coordinate care.//

From the body of the report:

//To design, construct, test, and prepare KatrinaHealth for use in less than three weeks, the project team confronted numerous technical, policy, and organizational hurdles. The specifics of the team’s process are described in some detail at the end of this report. Many of the hurdles were overcome, some were not, but did not derail the project, and others remained sticking points. Contrary to expectations, the technical hurdles, although significant, were easier to work around, and sometimes solve, than were some of the policy, business, and// //organizational issues.//

This report was published by the [|Markle Foundation]. It provides excellent evidence to support the business case for eHealth.