Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
2. Does the organization have a system of
documentation sufficient for tracking of
patients and communication with healthcare
providers?
3. Is the documentation in the chart sufficient
to demonstrate that the standard of care was
met, as well as to enable continuity of care?
4. If the institution relies on a computer regis-
tration system that may be unavailable
during portions of an emergency event, can
the institution print out blank screens (i.e.,
template information-entry screens providing
the prompts for information that can be
manually recorded on hard-copy) prior to or
during the emergency, so that demographic,
insurance, and other information elements
usually captured by the computer system
electronically can still be captured (if only by
hand) and then backloaded into the computer
system once the crisis has passed? Simi-
larly, if the organization's information tech-
nology (IT) system fails temporarily, is a
process in place to document critical entries
in a patient's medical record by hand, and
ultimately to transfer them to the electronic
system when it is again functional?
5. Does the system of the documentation in
place during emergencies meet requirements
for insurance reimbursement, subsequent
loans, funding from the Federal Emer-
gency Management Agency (FEMA), payor
funding, and/or other emergency funding?
6. Is the documentation sufficient to comply
with reporting obligations to licensing agen-
cies?
7. How will the organization's payroll records
accurately capture the significant overtime
provided in an emergency?
8. Are any supplies that are given out to the
community or government authorities appro-
priately documented for subsequent reim-
bursement?
9. Do any state-statutory immunity provisions
apply to recordkeeping during an emergency?
10. Have disaster funds been secured by proper
declarations from the President, the governor,
the Secretary of Agriculture, and/or the
Secretary of Commerce as appropriate? (
see
Section VI(D), Declaration of an Emergency
or Major Disaster, and Securing Disaster
Funds
).
F. Physical Plant and Facilities
It is important for a healthcare organization to
assess any potential vulnerabilities with its physical
plant and facilities, as well as to take appropriate
measures to ensure the continuation of utilities,
IT systems, communications, and other services
necessary to maintain its operations.
1. If an IT system is judged to be mission-critical,
is it on the electrical backup systems? Are the
computers that need to access the system also
on the backup systems?
2. What are the institution's emergency power
capabilities? Are there any issues in accessing
the emergency power if a mass blackout is
caused for any reason?
3. Can the institution access portable genera-
tors? Might the placement of a portable emer-
gency generator cause any street and/or zoning
issues? Have the organization's personnel been
trained in the proper operation of emergency
generators?
4. Has the organization assessed potential vulner-
abilities relating to the physical location of
individual departments (e.g., placement of a
data center in a basement location that may be
subject to flooding)?
G. Civil Liability
When designing an emergency-preparedness plan
for a healthcare institution, it is likely that
questions or concerns will be raised regarding
the potential civil liability of healthcare entities
or personnel who respond to an emergency. It
is possible that state-statutory immunity provi-
sions may apply to such situations. Immunity
