Public Health Emergency Response Business Process Redesign and Information Systems Requirements Definition

Information systems that meet incident-specific needs are critical resources for efficient public health emergency preparedness and response (PHEP).  However, extant emergency preparedness guides do not describe a common understanding of what public health information systems must do to support an effective public health emergency response.  In this study, we employ a 3 phase Public Health Informatics Institute (PHII) collaborative requirements development methodology to 1) define business processes, 2) redesign them to better meet PHEP-related needs, and 3) define information system requirements that support a local health department’s Incident Command System-based response to a biological incident.  The first phase of business process analysis was presented earlier. In the second phase, the business processes were reengineered.  The reengineering sessions occur at consultant-facilitated workshops where internal stakeholders met with partners from local emergency management and the state of Tennessee Department of Health.  Here, we present results of process redesign, descriptions of workshops with stakeholders, and feedback iteration procedures.