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Health Security Card (HSC)

Beginning in October 2009, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) awarded the American Medical Association (AMA) Center for Public Health Preparedness and Disaster Response (CPHPDR) a three-year $1.3 million translational research grant entitled, "A Health Security Card (HSC) for Disasters and Public Health Emergencies." The principal investigators, James J. James, MD, DrPH, MHA, Director of the CPHPDR, Italo Subarao, DO and Cheryl Irmiter, PhD led the AMA Project Research Team (PRT). The translational research projected sought to understand what personalized health information and device could be used that carried essential data elements to identify individuals and meet their immediate health needs in the first 96 hours after a public health emergency or disaster.

As of Dec. 31, 2012, the four phases of the grant are completed and the six research aims have been met:

  1. Achieve consensus on a minimal set essential data elements
  2. Achieve consensus on technological vehicle(s)/platform(s)
  3. Validate and develop a field prototype using focus group methodology
  4. Pilot the field prototype of the Secure Health Information Card (SHIC) to a nationally representative sample of individuals
  5. Conduct a follow-up telephonic survey of the pilot participants and evaluate project data
  6. Conduct a case-study demonstration using a disaster scenario at a national meeting of key stakeholders, and survey the Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council (STRAC) smart-card ID carriers.

A secure personal health information device: A tool to improve health outcomes in a disaster or public health emergency

The results from the AMA-convened HSC project are available now. As a final product, this brochure was designed to highlight the accomplishments of the research team and those who helped fund, organize, and participate in each phase of the project.

The brochure highlights the following:

  • Data elements – minimum health information elements that can be maintained in a secure health information device
  • Platform recommendation – modalities, platforms and technologies identified by the project research team for a prototype to be used in this project
  • Focus groups – convened to guide the selection of a field prototype and discern public opinion of such a device
  • Testing the SHIC – the field prototype SHIC was distributed to a diverse sample of individuals to determine utility and gather user feedback
  • Demonstration exercise – designed to demonstrate the use of the SHIC in s simulated disaster scenario

Results provide evidence for federal, state, local and tribal public health decision makers on the potential for a secure personal health information device to improve health outcomes in a disaster or public health emergency.

Thank you to those who contributed to this project, from experts to participants. It is the team's hope that this will be used to ensure the public can have an opportunity to take care of themselves and their loved ones, during an emergency or displacement.