OBJECTIVES: Hurricane Maria caused catastrophic damage in Puerto Rico, increasing the risk for morbidity and mortality in the post-impact period. We aimed to establish a syndromic surveillance system to describe the number and type of visits at 2 emergency health-care settings in the same hospital system in Ponce, Puerto Rico. METHODS: We implemented a hurricane surveillance system by interviewing patients with a short questionnaire about the reason for visit at a hospital emergency department and associated urgent care clinic in the 6 mo after Hurricane Maria. We then evaluated the system by comparing findings with data from the electronic medical record (EMR) system for the same time period. RESULTS: The hurricane surveillance system captured information from 5116 participants across the 2 sites, representing 17% of all visits captured in the EMR for the same period. Most visits were associated with acute illness/symptoms (79%), followed by injury (11%). The hurricane surveillance and EMR data were similar, proportionally, by sex, age, and visit category. CONCLUSIONS: The hurricane surveillance system provided timely and representative data about the number and type of visits at 2 sites. This system, or an adapted version using available electronic data, should be considered in future disaster settings.
OBJECTIVES: Hurricane Maria caused catastrophic damage in Puerto Rico, increasing the risk for morbidity and mortality in the post-impact period. We aimed to establish a syndromic surveillance system to describe the number and type of visits at 2 emergency health-care settings in the same hospital system in Ponce, Puerto Rico. METHODS: We implemented a hurricane surveillance system by interviewing patients with a short questionnaire about the reason for visit at a hospital emergency department and associated urgent care clinic in the 6 mo after Hurricane Maria. We then evaluated the system by comparing findings with data from the electronic medical record (EMR) system for the same time period. RESULTS: The hurricane surveillance system captured information from 5116 participants across the 2 sites, representing 17% of all visits captured in the EMR for the same period. Most visits were associated with acute illness/symptoms (79%), followed by injury (11%). The hurricane surveillance and EMR data were similar, proportionally, by sex, age, and visit category. CONCLUSIONS: The hurricane surveillance system provided timely and representative data about the number and type of visits at 2 sites. This system, or an adapted version using available electronic data, should be considered in future disaster settings.
Authors: Carlos Santos-Burgoa; John Sandberg; Erick Suárez; Ann Goldman-Hawes; Scott Zeger; Alejandra Garcia-Meza; Cynthia M Pérez; Noel Estrada-Merly; Uriyoan Colón-Ramos; Cruz María Nazario; Elizabeth Andrade; Amira Roess; Lynn Goldman Journal: Lancet Planet Health Date: 2018-10-12
Authors: Mathew J Thomas; Paula W Yoon; James M Collins; Arthur J Davidson; William R Mac Kenzie Journal: J Public Health Manag Pract Date: 2018 May/Jun
Authors: Kay M Tomashek; Olga D Lorenzi; Doris A Andújar-Pérez; Brenda C Torres-Velásquez; Elizabeth A Hunsperger; Jorge Luis Munoz-Jordan; Janice Perez-Padilla; Aidsa Rivera; Gladys E Gonzalez-Zeno; Tyler M Sharp; Renee L Galloway; Mindy Glass Elrod; Demetrius L Mathis; M Steven Oberste; W Allan Nix; Elizabeth Henderson; Jennifer McQuiston; Joseph Singleton; Cecilia Kato; Carlos García Gubern; William Santiago-Rivera; Jesús Cruz-Correa; Robert Muns-Sosa; Juan D Ortiz-Rivera; Gerson Jiménez; Ivonne E Galarza; Kalanthe Horiuchi; Harold S Margolis; Luisa I Alvarado Journal: PLoS Negl Trop Dis Date: 2017-09-13
Authors: Talia M Quandelacy; Laura E Adams; Jorge Munoz; Gilberto A Santiago; Sarah Kada; Michael A Johansson; Luisa I Alvarado; Vanessa Rivera-Amill; Gabriela Paz-Bailey Journal: PLoS One Date: 2022-04-27 Impact factor: 3.752