There is currently no nationally coordinated medical video network in place to respond to large-scale disasters. With the very real threat of biological outbreaks (and potentially terrorist attacks) the need for a coordinated response network is even more urgent. Existing telemedicine infrastructure is uniquely positioned to provide essential links between local, regional and national resources in a mass disaster. However, the utilization of this and other advanced communication resources requires access to a documented network of willing providers with qualified technology capabilities. To address this need, Medical Missions for Children in Paterson, New Jersey has formed the Medical Disaster Resources Network (MD.RN).
The purpose of the MD.RN initiative is to establish an up-to-date inventory of telemedicine hub networks willing and capable of providing care coordination and clinical support and to share situation, patient, and threat information. This database was designed to identify telemedicine resources with the ability and willingness to operationalize after-hours and under duress. The database itself will focus on single network points of contact who can be reached 24/7. These are the national video network enablers that can activate their system and bring clinic assets to their network in a timely fashion. An example might be: a call from FEMA or Public Health on a Friday night asking for a Nuclear Medicine consult Saturday at noon.
Data collection for MD.RN began as a volunteer activity of the American Telemedicine Association SIG for Disaster Response and the OAT Telehealth Resource Centers (TRCs). Medical Missions for Children adopted this program in June of 2008. The Medical Disaster Resources Network has the potential to greatly improve cross-border and multi-jurisdictional collaboration in a variety of disaster response scenarios.
Access to a national network inventory would provide immediate seamless access in a disaster to expertise that exists at key University Medical Centers and national centers of excellence (CDC, NIH, MRMC, etc.) for any health and medical provider, regardless of their location. As a network of existing medical and health facilities, MD.RN will be available to complement and build upon other existing efforts related to public health, emergency response and threat detection, such as CDC’s Health Alert Network and Emergency Medical Operation Centers (EMOCs). Integrating telemedicine networks into emergency communications should be considered as a critical component of the emergency communications capabilities of a region. Building the MD.RN is a good first step.
MDRN Mission: To establish an up-to-date national inventory of telemedicine networks that can be used to provide care coordination and services in response to large scale disasters.
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