Full discloser, I am a big fan of zombie movies (I believe 'geek' is the technical term).

Have been since I was a kid. 

There's something in this particular movie genre that I've always found both terrifying and fascinating at the same time. 

But it wasn't until I began my career in healthcare that I realized what it was. It's the fact that the entire zombie mythos is based on a very real threat to the human race.

At its core, the zombie apocalypse is just a really, really bad pandemic.

Dealing With a Zombie Pandemic 

There are many things that can cause a zombie outbreak.

Viruses, radiation, parasites, and chemical spills are just a few examples. While we'll be focusing on the virus scenario in this article, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offer some good insight into the other causes in their article, Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse.

In the event we face a virus, like in The Walking Dead, a strong pandemic response plan is needed.

Just like 2009's H1N1 pandemic, you need to be prepared to communicate with your patient population quickly to help them minimize their exposure and avoid infection. For people already infected, getting them to the appropriate level of care (or quarantine) quickly will be critical. 

Your health call center will play a pivotal role. 

Educate Your Patient Population on Prevention

As we saw with H1N1, media reports will likely make people panic.  

This is a common theme in zombie movies. The outbreak occurs, people panic, and the public is never provided with the actionable information they need to avoid infection.

Here's how your health call center can help.

• Offer a toll-free inbound information line. One-way communication isn't enough. You need to provide people with a way to ask specific questions. Your information line should provide guidance on how to avoid infection, what symptoms they should be looking for, the latest news from the CDC, where they can go to get help, and how to deal with someone who has already become a zombie.
   
• Conduct targeted outreach. TV and Radio are great at getting general information out to a large number of people, but to effectively manage population health, you'll want to proactively make sure your population understand what they need to do to stay healthy and safe.   
   

Once you have your health call center up and running, you can ... 

Evaluate Symptoms Quickly And Drive Appropriate Action

In addition to being bitten, people can become infected in less obvious ways. 

Before the insatiable hunger for human braaains kicks in, the early symptoms of infection are generally very similar to the flu. Including weakness, high fever, and muscle achiness.

The last thing you want is for people to go to a hospital full of infected patients if they aren't already on their way to becoming a zombie. Not only are they potentially exposing themselves to the infection unnecessarily, they will be taking resources away from patients who need them.

The reverse is also true. If they are infected, a delay in care can be deadly (to them and their tasty friends). You need to be able to recommend and facilitate access to appropriate care quickly.

This is exactly what your telephone nurse triage service will do.

Keep All Healthcare Providers In-the-Loop

As different care providers begin treating patients, you'll be required to coordinate healthcare resources, monitor treatments, and simultaneously keep each member of the patient's care team "in-the-loop." More than likely, this will be done through your Electronic Medical Record (EMR).

As such, it's critical your health call center can integrate with your EMR.

This means:

• Recording the patient's clinical history and current health status.
• Capturing information about the patient's questions and concerns.
• Documenting what advice was provided during the nurse triage process. 
• Tracking where the patient was referred to and why.

By doing so, your team will have the information they need to effectively treat their patients and subsequently stop the zombie horde from spreading out of control.  

Key takeaway: Are you getting your patients the information they need to stay healthy? Whether you're dealing with a zombie apocalypse or this year's flu season, it's important to have a health contact center in place that can educate and coordinate patient care.