Introduction
The preparedness of public health organizations for natural and human-made disasters depends on several factors, one of which is the availability of data for analysis and evaluation. Officials and professionals must have some knowledge about the local population to estimate the resources necessary for helping people survive and thrive in challenging conditions. One of the initiatives that benefits public health organizations in accessing information is emPOWER, a database of Medicare users in the region who are dependent on any electricity-based healthcare equipment. The official website has an anonymized record of beneficiaries who are at risk of losing support in cases where electricity is shut down. This data offers many benefits to aid public health preparedness as it makes planning more transparent. Nevertheless, emPOWER also presents challenges, as access to more detailed information requires a long request process.
Benefits
The benefits of using emPOWER in states with frequently occurring natural disasters and power outages are apparent. The database contains information about the number of beneficiaries who may be at risk of losing their lives due to a lack of access to power. By accessing this data, healthcare providers, policymakers, and other officials can estimate how to plan for such scenarios (Douglas et al., 2020).
For example, a county or a specific area may have a higher number of people who are dependent on dialysis. The local government and health organizations can focus on sourcing the number of machines and generators required to fully support the at-risk population (Douglas et al., 2020). This ability to exchange vital information to improve the preparedness of the public health segment aligns with one of the core capabilities proposed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2018) – information sharing. Based on the map created and updated by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness & Response ([OASPR], 2023), government and private organizations can collaborate when identifying population needs.
Challenges
However, several challenges make this data difficult to implement effectively in all scenarios. While the website shows some basic information, such as the total number of beneficiaries who use electricity-based devices, it lacks specifics. For example, while the map distinguishes between users of oxygen and dialysis, it does not include people’s living conditions, their location, support systems, and other factors. This information cannot be easily obtained as it is vital to protect people’s identity, which also makes it more challenging to plan evacuation procedures, transfers, and transport use in case of emergency. Local departments have to go through complicated processes to access more detailed data using various official forms. As a result, the de-identified data from the HHS emPOWER map has limitations.
The available information from a region can provide some knowledge about one’s county and help one identify public health needs. For instance, in the county of Nye, NV, there exists a great difference between the northern and southern parts of the region. Some territories in the south have significantly more beneficiaries and at-risk persons than in the north of the county (OASPR, 2023). This information can be used in the future if an accident occurs in one part of the region. As a solution, locating services closer to areas with an increased number of at-risk individuals may help them regain power more quickly.
Conclusion
Therefore, future applications of emPOWER data are related to strategic planning and resource allocation based on population needs. This database can serve as an example for other initiatives to make access to de-identified information simple and quick for all organizations.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2018). Public health emergency preparedness and response capabilities. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Douglas, J. A., Subica, A. M., Franks, L., Johnson, G., Leon, C., Villanueva, S., & Grills, C. T. (2020). Using participatory mapping to diagnose upstream determinants of health and prescribe downstream policy-based interventions. Preventing Chronic Disease: Public Health Research, Practice, and Policy, 17, E138.
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness & Response. (2023). HHS emPOWER map.