Current hospital disaster planning and management does not take advantage of modern information technology. We will develop a novel web service based Computerized Disaster Information and Management System (CDIMS) to direct disaster management by hospitals. CDIMS will assist with disaster preparation as well as command and communications during a disaster. 1) We will develop a free standing inexpensive user configurable computer system. This scalable program will allow individual hospitals of any size to plan for and manage any type of disaster. This system will allow a hospital to custom configure their disaster management system for local needs. Using drag and drop methodology they can design their own Incident Command System (ICS). This includes Hazard Analysis, Continuity of Operations Planning and pre-incident mitigation. The system will guide hospital planning by ensuring all needed tasks are addressed centrally without overlap. 2) During a disaster the CDIMS will assist all operational units in their response. The informational aspects of the program will quickly display needed and integrated response information tailored to the users needs in dashboard views. This directed information will allow situational awareness without the cognitive overload common in emergencies. After a disaster CDIMS will guide recovery and generate summary reports. 3) CDIMS will be designed to allow secure communication between response units within the hospital during a disaster. Duplicate servers internal to the hospital on emergency power will provide robust service short of physical hospital loss. This intranet will be secure, redundant and isolated from the external web. The system will track and display the current state of disaster response continuously. Instant messaging functionality will relay messages between the operational units. Organizing the information flow following the CDIMS incident command structure will ensure timely response and prevent information overload. This network will be functional as a primary means of communication when phone systems, radios and other information systems are disabled. The integration of computer technology into hospital emergency management will save lives and improve outcomes in disasters.
