A Formative Evaluation of Information Systems for Deployment during the Ebola Response

BACKGROUND:   The 2014 Ebola Outbreak is the largest emergency response in CDC’s history, and has been supported by the deployment of 1,112 staff deployed to West Africa and other countries. Timely deployment of staff, according to established protocols, is an important component of CDC Public Health Preparedness and Response strategy.  The complex coordination and integration of data from disparate sources such as Preparedness Workforce Management System, Task Tracker, Staff Deployment email mailbox is an essential business process. To support this endeavor, CDC Ebola Response Evaluation Team (Evaluation Team) collaborated with CDC Public Health Informatics Fellowship Program (PHIFP) fellows to conduct a formative evaluation of the current deployment processes. The Information Value Cycle-Data Information System Context (IVC-DISC) matrix provides a structured approach for performing an evaluation of an information system which can be used to evaluate the processes of deployment systems during the 2014 Ebola Outbreak. The Evaluation Team submitted an Info-Aid request (short-term technical assistance request) to CDC PHIFP to consider possible ways of automating processes of staff deployments.

METHODS:   Info-Aid activities included: identifying data sources, understanding data use for current and future deployments, mapping and validating workflows, and providing recommendations for automating staff deployment. Using the IVC-DISC as a framework, we conducted a gap analysis of the current system and developed an ideal system for deployment. The IVC-DISC matrix evaluates data, information systems, and its context using six steps (plan, capture, manage, analyze, use, and evaluate). This framework defined and scoped the problem of disparate data sources in the current deployment process. An information flow analysis of the systems revealed potential areas of improvement.  Requirements, data sources, activities and functional groups in business processes for staff deployments were identified. We depicted these processes using task flow diagrams. Based on our findings, we developed a prototype of a proposed computerized system.

RESULTS:   We identified a need for efficient integration of disparate data for informing deployment decisions. The development, testing, and evaluation of a prototype for a proposed automated system would help streamline staff deployment processes.  

CONCLUSIONS:   The IVC-DISC matrix is useful in evaluating information systems for deployment. Identifying areas of integration with other aspects of the deployment process (i.e., recruitment) and stakeholder collaboration will be vital to a successful implementation strategy. Due to the need for immediate and sustained response efforts in the Ebola outbreak, a number of innovative informatics strategies can play a role in solving this problem in public health emergency preparedness.