Utilization of electronic field medical surveillance in international disaster response; an assessment of data utility in the 2010 Haiti Earthquake

BACKGROUND The Electronic Medical record (EMR) allows federal emergency response staff to view and evaluate near real-time medical data. Analysis of EMR patient data can enhance situational awareness and provide decision advantage for headquarters' staff during both domestic and international events.

METHODS During the U.S. response to the Haiti Earthquake in January 2010, patient treatment data was collected by ESF-8 responders through the EMR. Data were collected throughout the patient experience during registration, triage, treatment, and discharge. Data were then analyzed in order to identify potential emerging conditions and needs during the entire response.

RESULTS 8,925 patient records were entered into the EMR between January 18th and February 22nd, 2010. Of those encounters, 4,725 (53%) were classified as acute, 308 (3%) as chronic, 1977 (22%) as an injury, 88 (1%) as mental health, 589 (7%) as OB/GYN, and 1120 (13%) as routine. Additionally, 1,444 (16%) encounters were of children under 6 and 1,637 (18%) of children aged 6 through 18.

CONCLUSIONS During the 2010 earthquake response in Haiti knowledge of the medical encounters through EMR data in the field provided indications of need for patient care. The high burden of both pediatric and OB/GYN encounters detected allowed for timely decisions on adjustments to the clinical staff and supply mixes. This burden could be quickly assessed through electronic reporting. EMR data can enhance and inform emergency response decision-making during domestic and international events and may be a useful tool for field public health and medical surveillance during future disaster responses.