By Susan Kreimer, MS, contributor
Jan. 14, 2010 - A new online discussion forum on the H1N1 virus and seasonal flu is encouraging healthcare facilities to freely exchange information about innovative solutions.
“What it provides is an opportunity for organizations to talk in real time,” said Nancy Kupka, DNSc, MPH, RN, project director in the division of quality measurement and research at the Joint Commission, which accredits and certifies more than 17,000 U.S. healthcare organizations and programs.
Since the Dec. 15, 2009 launch, the forum has received a thousand hits, with visitors spending an average of four minutes per online page. “We didn’t know what to expect,” Kupka said, “but it’s a good response.”
The online forum represents a collaborative effort between the Joint Commission, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology. It was funded solely by the Joint Commission.
There are actually two sub-forums – one devoted to the H1N1 virus, the other to seasonal influenza. Each includes sub-topics ranging from mandatory vaccinations and reporting influenza to laboratory support.
A major advantage to users is sharing best practices in implementing interventions that boost influenza vaccinations among healthcare workers, said Carol Friedman, DO, associate director for adult immunization at the CDC. Mentioning failed strategies adds to the learning experience, as well.
The forum also provides answers to H1N1 queries. “Recently, there were several questions regarding whether there would be a third wave of H1N1 infection,” Friedman said, while adding that the CDC’s input was requested. “By having CDC be part of the forum, this ensures that accurate, scientific information is relayed.”
Although many healthcare workers have been preparing for H1N1, the ramifications of its impact are still unraveling. Posts from forum visitors discuss operational issues such as reporting cases to public health authorities, Kupka said.
Visitors have the option of preserving their anonymity. Some wonder if the content they post will affect their accreditation status with the Joint Commission. “The answer is no,” Kupka said. In addition to U.S. entities, the commission has accredited more than 300 public and private healthcare organizations in 39 other countries.
The site collects a minimal amount of identifying information for the purpose of tracking the types of visitors – hospitals, ambulatory care centers, home health agencies, hospices or other facilities, and the size of their organizations. Participants can use a personal e-mail address to log in and avoid disclosing where they work. Anyone in the healthcare community – from patients to administrators – is welcome to start a thread or comment on an existing one.
“We welcome everybody to come in and share what has been effective in their organization or ask for help with problems they have encountered,” said Kupka, a registered nurse for 31 years.
She monitors the site a couple of times per day, reserving the right to remove an inappropriate post. So far, that hasn’t happened.
Many healthcare organizations have developed listservs, but Kupka said she has yet to see a site as interactive as this one. It uses the Joint Commission’s existing WikiHealthCare platform.
“If this is successful and useful to the field, then in the future we may use it for other kinds of crisis topics,” she said. Clinicians sometimes can’t wait for study results and published articles to decide how to proceed. When a threat is imminent, they need to know what works.
Accreditation by the Joint Commission is not required to participate, but individuals interested in contributing to the forum must register on the site.
© 2010. AMN Healthcare, Inc. All Rights Reserved.