Technology Use in Emergency Response: Experiences From Recent California Wildfires

Technology offers the potential for efficient and accurate medical response in the event of an emergency or disaster. In the recent California wildfires, some responders used technology-driven tools such as data analytics to locate vulnerable Medicare beneficiaries in a disaster zone and a network of health information exchanges to access patients' electronic medical records and deliver care away from their typical care setting. This case study will examine two uses of technology that were deployed during the 2017 and 2018 California wildfires, the emPOWER program and PULSE (Patient Unified Lookup System) system, to aid in emergency response. We will interview implementers and users of these tools from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness Response, Office of the National Coordinator, State agencies, and local counties on their experiences with the adoption, implementation, and deployment of these tools; the benefits derived from these tools; and any challenges that were overcome. We will use these lessons learned to identify strategies that entities can use to incorporate technology in emergency preparedness and response. To the extent possible, we will also gather data about the reach of these tools, such as how many individuals benefited from using them.

Announced or Revised	Agency	Title	Component	Report Number(s)	Expected Issue Date (FY)
Removed	Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response	Technology Use in Emergency Response: Experiences From Recent California Wildfires	Office of Evaluation and Inspections	OEI-09-19-00540	Not Applicable