Disaster Planning for Medical Practices

With two major hurricanes causing significant damage already this year—and more possibly on the way—medical practices should be making sure they have a disaster plan in place, and reviewing and updating that plan if they do.

Having an effective disaster response plan is the first step in limiting the impact of a natural disaster. As part of any plan, the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) recommends instituting procedures for protecting patient safety, securing health information from damage, ensuring stability in continuity of care activities, and providing orderly and timely recovery of information.

Providers should perform a thorough review of their organization’s disaster response plan and identify opportunities for incorporating these basic responses into their facility’s emergency preparedness plan:

• Develop a staff communication plan that includes communication protocols, a written chain of command, employee contact list, and emergency contact information
• Keep lines of communication open with patients. Utilize several methods (e.g., cell phone, social media, email, notice on office door) to communicate with patients
• Designate staff responsible for off-site management of patients if necessary
• Advise patients to keep personal medical information with them at all times (including medication list with doses, allergy information, other special needs)

AHIMA also recommends that each facility closely monitor the maintenance of patient identifiable information. Practices should consider implementing the following recommendations as part of any disaster plan:

• Protect computer/network equipment from water, fire, or extreme temperatures
• Create a data back-up plan that includes performing critical data back up at the close of each business day
• Store data back-up files and documentation off-site for the recovery process
• Develop a recovery plan/process for destroyed or damaged documents
• Implement a plan to reconstruct information when applicable
• Engage in post-disaster management that includes documenting a detailed record of the event to include affected patient records, recovery efforts, and outcomes

After reviewing their disaster plan, knowledge base, and capabilities to respond to a disaster—and putting a final plan in place—practices must educate their staff on the plan’s content and individuals’ specific responsibilities for implementing the plan.

The following resources offer guidance for preparing for responding to a natural disaster, as well as providing details relevant to this year’s hurricanes:

• Disaster Planning for the Medical Office, Curi
• Emergency Preparedness, HHS Office of Civil Rights
• Disclosures for Emergency Preparedness—A Decision Tool: Overview, HHS
• Hurricane Harvey and HIPAA Bulletin: Limited Waiver of HIPAA Sanctions and Penalties During a Declared Emergency, HHS