Information Challenges Associated With Accessing and Sharing of Patient Information in Disasters: A Qualitative Analysis

As disasters increase in frequency and severity, so too does the health impact on affected populations. Disasters exacerbate the already challenging health information-sharing landscape. A reduced capacity to access and share patient information may have negative impacts on providers’ ability to care for patients individually and to address disaster health outcomes at the population level. Between October 2018 and July 2019, we conducted 21 semistructured interviews with physicians experienced in providing healthcare during disasters to understand the challenges related to patient information sharing in disaster responses. Key informants noted challenges with patient information management—including accessing, sharing, and transferring information—and that it was a barrier to providing effective clinical care in disasters. Three major areas were identified as challenges: (1) lack of systematic mechanisms for patient information sharing during disaster handoffs, (2) lack of access to a patient’s past medical history, and (3) population-level impacts of patient information-sharing breakdowns in disasters. Reducing barriers to effective patient information sharing is a critical need during disasters. Requirements generally fall to overburdened clinicians, and novel solutions that ease this responsibility and leverage existing infrastructure should be explored. Work conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic may inform new solutions. Integrated approaches that support information sharing in real time will improve patient care at the individual level and can support operational improvements to current and future disaster responses.