OIG Reports on Pandemic Flu and Medical Surge

Are we ready for the impending flu season?  What about an influenza pandemic?  The OIG recently released a duo of reports addressing preparedness for an influenza pandemic.  In one of the reports, the OIG examined the extent to which states and localities have prepared for a medical surge in response to an influenza pandemic and whether they have conducted and documented exercises that test their medical surge preparedness for an influenza pandemic.  See OEI-02-08-00210.  The OIG found that all of the selected localities had established partnerships to prepare for a medical surge; however, the degree to which coordination occurred varied.  Fewer than half of the selected localities had started to recruit medical volunteers, and none of the five States had implemented an electronic system to manage them.  All of the selected localities had acquired limited medical equipment for a pandemic, but only three of the five States had electronic systems to track beds and equipment. Most of the selected localities were still in the early stages of planning for alternate care sites and most had not identified guidelines for altering triage, admission, and patient care.  All of the selected localities conducted medical surge exercises; however, none consistently documented the lessons learned.  As a result, the OIG recommended that the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, in collaboration with CDC:

1. Work with States and localities to improve their efforts within each of the five components of medical surge reviewed. 
2. Ensure that States and localities consistently document the lessons learned from preparedness exercises that address medical surge.
3. Address the issue of legal protections for medical professionals and volunteers who respond to public health emergencies, such as an influenza pandemic.
4. Facilitate the sharing of information and emerging practices among States and localities.
5. Provide training and technical assistance to States and localities on key issues.

In the second report, the OIG tried to determine the extent to which 10 selected localities:  

1. Addressed in their planning documents the vaccine and antiviral drug distribution and dispensing components and preparedness items that we identified based on Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) pandemic influenza guidance;
2. Conducted exercises related to vaccine and antiviral drug distribution and dispensing and documented these exercises with After Action Reports and Improvement Plans; and 
3. Collaborated with community partners to develop and exercise their plans to distribute and dispense vaccines and antiviral drugs during an influenza pandemic.  See OEI-04-08-00260.

The second report concluded that although the selected localities collaborated with community partners to develop and exercise their plans to distribute and dispense vaccines and antiviral drugs during an influenza pandemic, they had not addressed in their planning documents most of the vaccine and antiviral drug distribution and dispensing components and preparedness items identified in HHS pandemic influenza guidance nor had they created After Action Reports and Improvement Plans for these distribution exercises.