PLANS BRIEFING

Kathy Burgardt - Plans Section Chief

Wow! This 21^st century technology is pretty amazing. As a person who remembers when there were no copiers in the library and on-demand videos were movies on a reel threaded through a device that projected images on a wall (no sound for the home version), I find that the things we can do on the web are impressive. I’d like to tell you about two ways I’ve used the web for DMAT in the last month: Responder e-Learn, and my Monthly Status Report. [This is the point where you may pause and email your DMAT friends to let them know that they need to drop everything and read The CA-6 Chronicles.]

Responder e-Learn 
Just when you thought you were caught up on the online training, new courses have been added. Information about content and objectives have been added to NC-3000, Responses Readiness and NC-5000, Operational Medicine, and can be found in the Training News article in this newsletter.

Those guys at Health and Human Services (HHS) have done a good job, in my opinion, of setting up the Responder e-Learn website. Not only are there learning modules that are easy to follow, but the information is useful. I sat down this weekend with the new Disaster Medical Information Suite (DMIS) modules. I have taken classes in the Electronic Medical Record (EMR), but it has been a while since I had the opportunity to sit at a computer and review my skills. Here are the options for learning that I found. I could download a pdf file with a narrative that explained the basics of EMR and I could download an MP4 file and let the narrator read the pdf file to me while showing me pictures of the actual computer screen they were discussing. I strongly recommend using the visuals provided with the MP4 version. The EMR screens have been modified over the last two years, and they are colorful and easy to read. Since there will be differences between the EMR and the computer records you use in your work environment, it’s important to get familiar with those differences before you deploy. Another feature of the program is a Quick Guide, which is a pdf file with full color shots of the various EMR screens with notes explaining the various options. It’s a good cheat sheet that you can save to your smartphone or tablet. For the computer challenged, an MP4 file is a type of video. The website will tell you if you need to download QuickTime, which is a free Apple program. The link to Apple is provided on the Responder e-Learn website.

How to sign on to Responder e-Learn
Honestly, going to Responder e-Learn is so easy that even the most computer-challenged of us can do it! Go to the team website, log in, and look at the box on the right. Select Other Member Sites. (Since Responder e-Learn is training, you might decide to click the Training Requirements. It’s okay if you do because you will be directed to select Responder e-Learn by going to Other Member Sites.)

When you get to the home page for Responder e-Learn, you will find the Login in the upper right hand corner. Your Username and Password are the same and have been preset. There is a heading entitled Help/Tutorials in the blue band that runs across the page. There you will find one of those step-by-step animations to show you exactly how to log on.

What happens when you log on?
I suggest you approach this website as you might check a trauma patient: do a full-body scan to find what areas need your attention. Check out the headings in the blue bar: My Courses, My Communities, My Records, Search, Help/Tutorials. There are some interesting things there. For example, My Courses tell you the courses you can take. We’re part of NDMS. The My Records tab gives you information about what classes you have completed. One of the tricks with this program is that you don’t get credit for the class until you have completed the evaluation. Check out everything just to learn your way around. And, you might be interested in the National Medical Library on the Home Page. Never fear, you can contact Training if you have questions. (The tutorial is coming soon, but we accept questions from all interested or confused parties.)

Monthly Status Report
As many of us are finding out, the Monthly Status Report contains very helpful information. Using my report as an example, when I looked at the first page this month, I saw red, literally. It seems like only yesterday that I had submitted my Respiratory Survey Status, but there it was, in red text, that I needed to submit an update. The address for our website was right there, and even I could follow the instructions for filling out the form. When I tried to sign the form electronically, I got a message that I had not answered question 7. Actually, in the end, it turned out that I inadvertently skipped several questions, but the smart pdf file patiently told me which questions I needed to answer (the ones bordered in red, of course). The electronic signature magically appeared, and I didn’t have to print out anything, but could upload directly to the website. Warning: you have to know how to save a document and how to find that document after it is saved. You can contact Training if you have questions about how to use your computer to upload documents to our website.

February is On-call month
Be sure you have rechecked those gear bags. We go on 8 hours notice -- or less!