Pandemic Preparedness

If avian flu or another lethal disease begins spreading rapidly, preparations for staff protection and effective use of community resources could be of crucial importance to patients, family, and healthcare providers. No one wants to have to decide whether to risk contracting a deadly disease in order to care for those in need. We hope the resources listed below will be useful to palliative care professionals and other concerned citizens. We welcome your comments and suggested additions at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Planning
This Annals of Internal Medicine article provides information on avian flu and preparedness for this deadly virus.

Information on H1N1
Stay up-to-date with H1N1 developments.

CDC Resources
This Centers for Disease Control and Prevention site offers a variety of resources on avian flu for clinicians covering training, professional guidance, infection control, vaccination, treatment, health education, travel advice, and prevention.

Implementing Ethical Frameworks for Rationing Scarce Health Resources in Minnesota during Severe Influenza Pandemic
Minnesota health groups release this report to help the state make and implement difficult decisions about allocating scarce resources such as antivirals, respirators, ventilators, and vaccines during a severe influenza pandemic.

Home Health Care During an Influenza Pandemic: Issues and Resources
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has released this primer for home-health care agencies on preparing for a flu pandemic.

Pandemic Preparedness and Palliative Medicine
This article by Porter Storey, MD, AAHPM Executive Vice President, outlines steps that communities, organizations, and palliative care physicians can take to prepare for a pandemic.

The Health Care Response to Pandemic Influenza
This American College of Physicians position paper, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, addresses the aspects of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Pandemic Influenza Plan that involve physicians.