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Successful Implementation of Web-based Medical Screening and Reporting Tools During an Urban Search and Rescue (US&R)
Kael Michael Mlinek1,2, Eric Ernest3, Shaila Coffey3
1Computer Science, https://ror.org/00hx57361Princeton University, Omaha, NE, USA.
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness
|April 27, 2026
Summary
Web-based medical screening and health monitoring tools for the Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) branch of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) were successfully implemented. These digital solutions improved workflow efficiency and reporting adherence without requiring prior training.
Area of Science:
- Disaster medicine
- Public health informatics
- Emergency management technology
Background:
- The Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) branch requires efficient pre-deployment medical screening and ongoing health monitoring for its personnel.
- Traditional in-person screening methods can be time-consuming and resource-intensive for deployed teams.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and evaluate web-based tools for medical screening and health monitoring within the US&R branch.
- To assess the efficiency, usability, and adherence of these digital tools in a field setting.
Main Methods:
- A review of existing workflows for US&R medical officers (MOFR) and task force physicians informed the selection of web-based solutions.
- Microsoft Forms was used for pre-deployment medical screening.
- A web-based dashboard was developed for daily Injury and Illness Log reporting, submission tracking, and syndromic surveillance.
Main Results:
- 100% of Incident Support Team (IST) members completed the pre-deployment screening in under 4 minutes.
- Post-deployment surveys indicated improved efficiency for both IST members and MOFRs compared to in-person screening.
- Task force daily compliance with web-based Injury and Illness Log reporting reached 84%.
- Syndromic surveillance was successfully demonstrated, aiding in the maintenance of operational readiness.
- All implemented tools were found to be intuitive and more efficient than previous workflows, even without specialized training.
Conclusions:
- Web-based medical screening, reporting, and surveillance tools offer a viable and effective solution for emergency response teams.
- High reporting adherence and enhanced workflow efficiency can be achieved with these digital tools, even in the absence of prior user training.
- The successful field evaluation supports the broader adoption of such technologies in disaster medical management.
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