Using Geographic Information System Mapping in Emergency Management: Expanding the Role of Nurses in Home Based...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Informatics
• Emergency Management

Background:

• The Veterans Health Administration Home Based Primary Care (VHA-HBPC) program supports Veterans with complex, chronic health conditions.
• Emergency management poses significant challenges for VHA-HBPC programs.
• Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping has been adopted in 30 VHA-HBPC locations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of GIS mapping as an emergency management tool within the VHA-HBPC program.
• To understand the experiences of frontline nurses and nurse leaders using GIS mapping for emergency preparedness and response.

Main Methods:

• An evaluation was conducted assessing GIS mapping implementation.
• Data collection involved examining nurses' and nurse leaders' experiences and roles in using GIS maps.
• Qualitative insights into the adoption and application of the technology were gathered.

Main Results:

• Nurses actively created and utilized GIS maps for emergency preparedness and response.
• GIS maps provided critical information, including patient locations (e.g., ventilator-dependent), community resources, and environmental risks (e.g., hurricanes).
• A notable willingness among nurses to adopt this new technology and skill set was observed.

Conclusions:

• GIS mapping is a valuable tool for enhancing emergency management in home-based primary care settings.
• The integration of GIS technology empowers clinical staff with crucial data for patient safety and resource allocation during emergencies.
• Further exploration of GIS applications in VHA-HBPC programs is warranted to optimize emergency response capabilities.