Public Health Preparedness for Special Needs Populations: Harnessing the Power of Health Information and CommunicationTechnology

People with disabilities and other at-risk groups bear a disproportionate impact during and after natural disasters and other public health emergencies. We will examine the role of health information and communications technologies--including electronic health records, mobile phones, and social media – in helping to close the coordination, commmunication and access gaps in health care delivery and emergency preparedness and response for people with disabilities. The transformational potential of health information and communications technology (Health IT) in health care delivery and disaster response is becoming more of a reality. The Health IT components of the stimulus package — collectively labeled HITECH (the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health) — reflect a nearly $20 billion investment in incentives for electronic health records to improve the efficiency and access of the healthcare system and provide direct access for consumers to their own health records. The stimulus package also provided funds for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to actively explore ways that broadband access can benefit people with disabilities. As the earthquake in Haiti has shown, texting, e-mail, Twitter, and other social media access via mobile phones have become an integral part of disaster response. Through the Recovery Act, funding is available for state and local governments and healthcare providers to improve access to information and communications technology for people with disabilities. We will describe how innovative programs and projects across the country are using new technologies to improve readiness and healthcare access for people with disabilities and other vulnerable populations.