Health Care Providers
Clinical Guidelines Summary (PDF 303 KB)
An influenza pandemic will place a significant burden on the U.S.
health care system. Published estimates based on the 1957 and 1968
pandemics suggest that there could be 839,000 to 9,625,000
hospitalizations, 18–42 million outpatient visits, and 20–47 million
additional illnesses, depending on the rate of infection during the
pandemic.
Health care providers play an essential role in the detection of an
initial case of novel or pandemic influenza in a community. If implemented
early, identification and isolation of cases may help slow the spread of
influenza within a community. Clinical awareness of novel or pandemic
influenza disease can also benefit the individual patient, as rapid
diagnosis and initiation of treatment can avert potentially severe
complications.
Pre-pandemic planning by health care providers and facilities is
therefore essential in order to provide quality, uninterrupted care to ill persons
and prevent further spread of infection.
With this in mind, all health
care facilities and providers should:
- Create a planning team and develop a written plan.
- Establish a decision-making and coordinating structure that can be
tested during the inter-pandemic period and will be activated during an
influenza pandemic.
- Determine how to conduct surveillance for pandemic influenza in
health care personnel and, for residential facilities, in the population
served.
- Develop policies and procedures for managing pandemic influenza in
patients and staff.
- Educate and train health care personnel on pandemic influenza and the
health care facility’s response plan.
- Determine how the facility will communicate and coordinate with
health care partners and public health authorities during a pandemic.
- Determine how the facility will communicate with patients and help
educate the public regarding prevention and control measures.
- Develop a plan for procuring the supplies (e.g., personal protective
equipment [PPE]) needed to manage influenza patients.
- Determine how the facility will participate in the community plan
for distributing either vaccine or antiviral drugs, including possibly
serving as a point of distribution and providing staff for alternative
community points of distribution.
Health care provider resources:
Influenza Planning Resources:
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This information has been compiled from resources
provided by the Centers for Disease Control (www.cdc.gov),
World Health Organization (www.who.int),
and the Department of Homeland Security (www.ready.gov).
Emergency Preparedness Program
Boulder County Public Health
3450 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80304
(303) 413-7500
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