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The Infectious Disease Network (IDN): Development and Use for Evaluation of Potential Ebola Cases in Georgia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 February 2018

Alezandria K. Turner ,
Robert K. Wages ,
Kelly Nadeau ,
Laura Edison ,
Peki F. Prince ,
Earnest R. Doss Jr. ,
Cherie Drenzek  and
Patrick O’Neal
Alezandria K. Turner
Affiliation:
Georgia Department of Public Health, Atlanta, Georgia Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response, Atlanta, Georgia
Robert K. Wages
Affiliation:
Georgia Department of Public Health, Atlanta, Georgia
Kelly Nadeau
Affiliation:
Georgia Department of Public Health, Atlanta, Georgia
Laura Edison*
Affiliation:
Georgia Department of Public Health, Atlanta, Georgia Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response, Atlanta, Georgia
Peki F. Prince
Affiliation:
Georgia Department of Public Health, Atlanta, Georgia
Earnest R. Doss Jr.
Affiliation:
Georgia Department of Public Health, Atlanta, Georgia
Cherie Drenzek
Affiliation:
Georgia Department of Public Health, Atlanta, Georgia
Patrick O’Neal
Affiliation:
Georgia Department of Public Health, Atlanta, Georgia
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to Laura Edison, Georgia Department of Public Health, 2 Peachtree St NW, 14th FL, Atlanta, GA 30303 (e-mail:laura.edison@dph.ga.gov).
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Abstract

In response to the 2014 Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in West Africa, the Georgia Department of Public Health developed the Infectious Disease Network (IDN) based on an EVD preparedness needs assessment of hospitals and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers. The network consists of 12 hospitals and 16 EMS providers with staff specially trained to provide a coordinated response and utilize appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) for the transport or treatment of a suspected or confirmed serious communicable disease patient. To become a part of the network, each hospital and EMS provider had to demonstrate EVD capabilities in areas such as infection control, PPE, waste management, staffing and ongoing training, and patient transport and placement. To establish the network, the Georgia Department of Public Health provided training and equipment for EMS personnel, evaluated hospitals for EVD capabilities, structured communication flow, and defined responsibilities among partners. Since March 2015, the IDN has been used to transport, treat, and/or evaluate suspected or confirmed serious communicable disease cases while ensuring health care worker safety. Integrated infectious disease response systems among hospitals and EMS providers are critical to ensuring health care worker safety, and preventing or mitigating a serious communicable disease outbreak. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018;12:765-771)

Keywords

Ebola virus diseaseinfection controlemergency medical servicesemergency preparedness
Type
Concepts in Disaster Medicine
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 12 , Issue 6 , December 2018 , pp. 765 - 771
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2018 

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