How do Emergency Departments and Health Departments Communicate?

HRET conducted a survey of large metropolitan emergency departments (EDs) on their communications processes with health departments.  We found that in addition to disease reporting, many EDs participate in syndromic surveillance, community-wide bed capacity or other resource tracking, and patient tracking systems.  Many systems, however, still rely on landlines (such as phone, fax, and touch tone service), even when web-based technologies are available.  While these EDs do have a 24/7 contact at the health department, communications lines are not likely to work in the event of circuit failure.

Check back periodically for these and other findings as they are published. 

Resources

Is This Bed Taken?: States, hospitals harness technology to track vacant beds and avert overcrowding
Page D. Hospitals and Health Networks, November 15, 2004.