CLINICAL WIRELESS NETWORKS
Partnership to Release Report Assessing Nation's Preparedness for Bioterror Attack
The Partnership for Public Service announced that it will be releasing a report this Tuesday which assesses the current capabilities of the Homeland Security initiative. An article (registration required), "Report Calls U.S. Agencies Understaffed for Bioterror," published by the New York Times two days ago reveals some of the details of their report. It mentions that "The government is likely to be overwhelmed in the event of a bioterrorism attack because of serious shortages in skilled medical and scientific personnel."
The closing of the Poison Control Centers has already been cited on this blog. What needs to be examined further are the plans to provide support for healthcare workers in the field, the so-called "first-responders." In many cases while funding is being supplied for equipment, training has not caught up with the level of preparedness that is expected to be present in the case of a terrorist action which might involve nuclear, biological or chemical weapons. Also, a first-responder might be reluctant to follow-up on a suspicious finding if he or she knows that the process of reporting might cause an over-reaction, an immediate assumption that a terror attack is under way. There should be communication networks available such that a first-responder can request information without causing alarm, and do this on a continual basis.
Ubiquitous cellular networks which provide data services (CDMA 2000) already exist, and improved services are currently being test marketed. What this means is that the healthcare worker can access data via a cell phone, but as yet no systematic effort has been addressed to support this capability. With the government facing a shortage of experts in various disciplines, it's important that the few who may be available have the ability to communicate as efficiently as possible with those who require support. And, there is no rationale to deny access to the general public about issues of personal safety and first aid.
The crisis with providing support for local emergency rooms continues without even considering issues of potential terrorist attacks. ER's have become the point of entry into the medical system for a significant portion of the population, especially those without health insurance. To focus entirely on issues of homeland security, avoids the more important problem of the day-to-day function of the current medical system. Yet, the signs are present that this system is being dismantled, and often not in a ways that are fully publicized.
(more to follow...)
12:32:17 AM 
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