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Swarmteams in Major Pandemic Test
21 Oct 2008
'Swarm principles' foster the most efficient and effective means/methods of communication irrespective of numbers of participants and can be adapted into any context.
Jenny Carter, Service Manager, Hunter New England Patient Flow Unit
Hunter New England Health in New South Wales, Australia, have just completed a major Pandemic Influenza Simulation Exercise using Swarmteams to power the communications of the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC).
The exercise involved 36 Emergency departments and 300 staff in New South Wales, Australia,scattered across an area the size of England. Hunter New England Health provides care for approximately 840,000 people spanning 25 local council areas and employs approx. 14,500 staff (or 10,500 FTE), 1500 medical officers and 1600 volunteers. It provides health services to 12% of the State's population and 20% of the State's Aboriginal population
Under the Incident Control System (ICS) Disaster Management framework adopted in these situations an Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) was established as the strategic body to oversee all clinical operations during the course of the 5 day exercise.
Within the EOC reside all the key ‘controller’ positions responsible for the response planning, operations and logistics which require a highly effective and efficient means of communication to the frontline network
Swarmteams was used to operate the EOC’s inbound and outbound communications based on its “pheromone-style communications framework (short instant group broadcasts and responses via web, email and mobile phone). Bioteams principles were adopted to rapidly disseminate information from the EOC to the 36 emergency departments.
Copyright Swarmteams 2008
FIGURE - Swarmteams Message Types
According to Chris Kewley, Area Director of Nursing for Hunter New England Area Health Service :
“Traditional methods of communication consumed 3-4hrs of EOC time whereas Swarm-style communications reduced this to just 45 mins. This would be absolutely vital in a real pandemic when time is so critical and overall a brilliant result”.
Figure - The Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) Team
For further information on this project please contact:
Chris Kewley
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Swarmteams (www.swarmteams.com) connects and empowers mobile/virtual groups and communities by integrating their mobile messaging (SMS), Instant Messaging (IM), email and Web.
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