Modification of the homeland security exercise and evaluation framework to evaluate H1N1 response in local health departments in North Carolina

Health departments in the US have been planning for Pandemic Influenza for years. In 2009, the H1N1 virus forced health departments to test their Pandemic Flu plans. Although the virus was not as virulent as first anticipated, its high occurrence and subsequent publicity put a strain on health departments. Due to the ongoing nature of public health emergencies like H1N1, practitioners often find little time to stop and comprehensively review their response and develop After Action Reports (AARs). Furthermore, when health departments did comprehensively review their response, no framework existed that allows for seamless evaluation of real public health events. This project addresses these issues by modifying the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) framework to evaluate the H1N1 response in selected North Carolina local health departments. During an exercise, HSEEP can be used to assess response in real-time and a detailed events list is available to give a recount of how the event unfolded. During a real event like H1N1, prolonged response times and lack of resources make it difficult to stop and recount details of the event and evaluate response performance. This presentation will examine the methods and tools used to assess local response activities, focusing on the comprehensiveness, reliability, and practical relevance/utility of the information gleaned. In addition, this presentation will examine the AARs generated through this project and their current and potential uses in planning and improving subsequent response activities. Strategies for enhancing AAR generation following real-world public health events will be identified.