Surgeons are using two kinds of devices to track the patients they see in Haiti. In addition to tracking the patients there, they hope to be able to use the information to help define which responses were most effective—and aid response planning in future disasters.

The American College of Surgeons’ humanitarian program is named Operation Giving Back.

Although the tracking system is not yet available for Blackberry and iPhones, new versions are expected to be released shortly.

Medpage Today

“An electronic data collection system, now available to track cases in Haiti, should provide valuable information for future disasters, according to the American College of Surgeons.

“We need to have a good understanding of how to react and respond to these sorts of things,” said Kathleen Casey, MD, director of the college’s humanitarian program, Operation Giving Back.

“But the reaction and response is often complicated by the “predictable loss” of coordination in the first few days, Casey told MedPage Today.

“In the midst of chaos,” she said, it’s often difficult to get an overview of what is happening on the ground, let alone figure out whether aspects of the response are working well or poorly.

“The college decided one way to help was to repurpose an electronic tool already used by many of its members to track their cases. (Emphasis added)

“The system allows surgeons to enter all the details of a case using a computer or Palm and PocketPC phones. Blackberry and iPhone versions will be released soon, the college said.” (Emphasis added)

Source: Medpage Today, January 29, 2010