Community Outreach Information Networks (COINs): Information sharing with other CBOs as well as individuals with access and functional needs can be especially difficult before, during, and after an emergency. COINs do a great job of filling that information gap by allowing CBOs to more easily reach their clients and caregiving partners through accessible and culturally sensitive information during emergency planning and response situations. CBOs may want to consider convening a COIN if one does not already exist. If one does exist, a CBO may want to consider operating as a COIN partner in order to connect clients and at-risk populations to important and timely information.
HHS emPOWER Program: In 2013, ASPR in partnership with the CMS, developed the
HHS emPOWER program which equips public health authorities, when requested, with secure information on members of the community who rely on life-saving, electricity-dependent medical equipment (e.g. oxygen tanks and electric wheelchairs). Through the use of secure information sharing, communities are not only able to respond to individuals’ access and functional needs, but are also able to conduct life-saving outreach to members of the community prior to, during, and after a public health emergency.
Patient Unified Lookup Services for Emergencies (PULSE): PULSE allows secure access to health records to treat people that are injured or displaced due to disasters. PULSE may serve as a helpful resource for CBOs as they plan for how best to ensure that individuals and their access and functional needs are met in an emergency. This is especially helpful for those with access and functional needs who may have been displaced from their usual continuum of care or home environment.