Key Elements in the Information Management System

The data-information-knowledge-communication continuum shown in Figure 24 contains the essential

elements in managing information during a health emergency response – from collection of data to

their translation into information useful to concerned DOH offices in the ICS chain of command, and

their use in making decisions and taking actions during the Response Phase. The continuum goes

on to include the management of communication, or the sharing and disseminating of the knowledge

drawn and learned in the process, as well as assessing and documenting the overall Response Phase.

Data Management. The effective and efficient management of the response is highly anchored on

relevant, timely and accurate information drawn from data collected, validated and consolidated

from predetermined sources throughout the Response Phase. Data management requires that data

requirements and their sources are clearly identified, the data collection tools are standardized,

data are cleaned and validated, and they are translated into graphs, tables and other forms for

easier interpretation and use. Data management also demands that databases are established and

continuously updated.

Information Management. Information management is the process of translating the collected

and consolidated data sets into useful information by analyzing and interpreting the data at hand,

supplemented with pertinent narrative information about the particular data sets. It also requires that

significant findings or data are identified and highlighted from all the other data collected.

Knowledge Management. This is the process of acquiring, managing and utilizing disaster information,

including one’s experiences, instincts, ideas and rules in order to come up with appropriate decisions
and draw up key actions as part of the health emergency response.

Communication Management. This entails the use of risk communication in sharing and disseminating

information and knowledge to specific target groups (e.g., those affected, other stakeholders such as

responders, decision-makers, etc.) in order to generate the desired decisions, actions and behaviors

in response to the health emergency. It also covers the proper management of the media in order to

maximize their support.

Data Management. The effective and efficient management of the response is highly anchored on

relevant, timely and accurate information drawn from data collected, validated and consolidated

from predetermined sources throughout the Response Phase. Data management requires that data

requirements and their sources are clearly identified, the data collection tools are standardized,

data are cleaned and validated, and they are translated into graphs, tables and other forms for

easier interpretation and use. Data management also demands that databases are established and

continuously updated.

Information Management. Information management is the process of translating the collected

and consolidated data sets into useful information by analyzing and interpreting the data at hand,

supplemented with pertinent narrative information about the particular data sets. It also requires that

significant findings or data are identified and highlighted from all the other data collected.

Knowledge Management. This is the process of acquiring, managing and utilizing disaster information,

including one’s experiences, instincts, ideas and rules in order to come up with appropriate decisions

and draw up key actions as part of the health emergency response.

Communication Management. This entails the use of risk communication in sharing and disseminating

information and knowledge to specific target groups (e.g., those affected, other stakeholders such as

responders, decision-makers, etc.) in order to generate the desired decisions, actions and behaviors

in response to the health emergency. It also covers the proper management of the media in order to

maximize their support.

2.2 Criteria for a Reportable Health and Health-Related Events

2.2.1 By Type of Hazard

There are four types of hazards that can qualify as a reportable event:

a. Natural Hazard. A physical force that may cause a disaster when it affects

a populated area, such as typhoon, flood, landslide, earthquake, and other

similar events.

b. Biological Hazard. A process or phenomenon of organic origin or conveyed

by biological vectors, including exposure to pathogenic microorganisms,

toxins and bioactive substances.

c. Technological Hazard. A hazard originating from technological or industrial

conditions, including accidents, dangerous procedures, infrastructure

failures, or specific human activities.

d. Societal Hazard. A hazard that arises from the interaction of varying

political, social and economic factors which may have a negative impact on

a community.
2.2.2 Based on Special Events

Special events are those that cannot be classified under any of the four types

of hazards but have the potential of developing into a mass casualty incident.

Special events include the following:

a. National and local holidays

b. Events of national importance (e.g., elections, State of the Nation Address,

etc.)

c. Events involving figures/personalities of national importance (e.g., President,

Ambassador, etc.)

d. Events with security implications

e. International events:

i. International emergencies/disaster that have a potential public health

effect in the Philippines (e.g., Fukushima nuclear radiation, pandemics)

ii. International events hosted by the Philippines that may pose a threat for
MCI and needing DOH participation/intervention

iii. International disasters warranting humanitarian assistance from other

countries

2.3 Classification of Events

Events being monitored are also classified according to their magnitude and the severity

of damages incurred. This classification is based on the following criteria:

► More than 10 casualties (deaths or injured).

► Critical infrastructure and lifelines affected, thus hindering delivery of health services.

► Local government units cannot handle the situation alone.

► Intervention by DOH Central Office and other national agencies is needed.

► There is a declaration of a disaster.

Based on these criteria, the events are classified into the following:

a. Minor Events. These are events that LGUs can handle and DOH intervention is not

needed.

b. Major Events. These are events that meet any of the two criteria listed above where

DOH comes in to provide assistance.

c. Disasters. These are events that fit all the criteria listed above and/or when a disaster

is declared.

2.4 Sources of Reports

There are various sources where reports on health and health-related events can be

obtained, as listed below:

a. Media

i. Radio. Broadcasts can provide real-time information which is aired 24 hours

a day to provide the most recent updates to listeners. Stations have the ability

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to reach across borders and become a source of information where reliable

news is scarce. When access to the Internet is blocked and phone lines are cut,

people can still search the airwaves for trustworthy sources.

ii. Television. The television is a great source of information as it provides real-time

information through reports, video coverage, and different TV news programs.

With the advances in technology and existence of different news channels, the

latest information as the events happen is easy to obtain.

iii. Newspapers. These are periodical publications containing news regarding

current events, informative articles, diverse features, editorials and

advertisements.
iv. Internet. The Internet provides real-time news and information posted by

different agencies and organizations which can easily be accessed by HEMB at

all levels. E-mail addresses and websites are monitored for any communication

or reports received that need immediate feedback and action.

v. Social Media. This is a form of electronic communication, such as websites

for social networking and micro-blogging, through which users create on-line

communities to share information, ideas, personal messages and other content.

Some examples are Twitter, Facebook, etc.

b. Reports from the different offices of the DOH. These are reports from the central,

regional and hospital levels, particularly from the HEMS Coordinators, including

those from the LGUs.

c. Reports from NDRRMC family and partners.

2.5 Types of Reports (Information Products)

a. Health Emergency (HEARS) Plus Report. The HEMB at the DOH Central Office

prepares this report and submits it to the Secretary of Health twice a day. Inputs to

HEARS are obtained from various sources, including the Field Reports from the ROs

and the hospitals. This report includes all monitored reportable events within the

last 24 hours as well as updates on previously reported major disasters and special

events. The HEARS Report may contain the following:

i. New Event. Event monitored within 24 hours (8 a.m. to 8 a.m. the next day).

Includes a brief description of the incident monitored, its health effects, and

actions taken.

ii. Delayed Event. Event that occurred in the past two weeks but monitored and

reported only during the past hours. Includes a brief description of the incident

monitored, its health effects, and actions taken.

iii. Special Event. Includes a brief description of the special event monitored, its

health effects, health human resource deployed (if any), and actions taken.

iv. Ongoing Event. Refers to a major emergency or disaster previously reported

but still with ongoing operations with DOH intervention. An example is a

displaced population that is temporarily sheltered in evacuation centers or

victims admitted in hospitals that need to be continuously monitored.

b. Flash Report. This must be prepared for every monitored incident needing immediate

attention and intervention. The report contains information that must be brought at

once to the attention of the superiors and/or decision-makers not later than 2 hours
from the occurrence of the event. The HEMB units/staff from the hospitals, ROs and

DOH Central Office submit their reports to their respective chiefs and directors. The

report has two parts: the first part shows the chronology of events, magnitude of the

emergency or disaster, and the reported damages that it has incurred in the affected

area;the second part shows the actions undertaken by the concerned offices.

c. Field Reports. These are reports prepared by the ROs and DOH hospitals on health

and health-related events occurring in the catchment area within a 24-hour period

(6:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m.). These must be submitted before 8 a.m. in time for the

HEARS Plus Report submission to the Secretary of Health. (Please refer to RO

Reporting Template 1 – Field Report.)

d. Rapid Health Assessment Report. This is a report prepared by the ROs and hospitals

within 24-48 hours after a major event or disaster. Its purpose is to determine the

magnitude and capacity of the affected areas and the ability of the RO/hospital to

handle or cope with the situation. (Please refer to HEMS RHA Form 1 – Regional

Rapid Health Assessment and HEMS RHA Form 2 – Health Facility Rapid Health

Assessment.)

e. Health Situation Update. This report is an update of a previously reported major

event that has to be followed up to track the progress of the event and the services

rendered. It is submitted on a daily basis for the first week of the event, three times a

week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) on the second and third week, and once a week

(Wednesday) thereafter until response has ended. The essential Information to be

reported as part of the Health Situation Update include the following (Please refer to

RO Reporting Template 2- HSU):

i. Magnitude of the Event. Includes the geographic scope of the disaster, the

extent of damages to infrastructure and lifelines, affected population, displaced

population, and existence of evacuation centers.

ii. List of Casualties. Provides the total number of casualties, both mortality and

morbidity, related to the disaster. The list includes the name, sex, address,

diagnosis and cause of death/injury of the casualties. If confined in the hospital,

the report should include the interventions provided.

iii. Summary of Health Human Resources. Monitors the movement of human

resources to and from the affected sites. It summarizes the human resources

(technical and medical) deployed to affected areas after the occurrence of an

incident. It contains information on: the date of deployment, sending agency,

name of team, team leader, team composition, total team members, place
of deployment, technical assistance (for technical team), services provided,

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patients seen and referred (for medical team), and top morbidity cases (for

medical team). The report helps in ensuring that all affected sites are visited and

duplication of efforts is avoided..

iv. Health Infrastructure Status. Information on damaged health facilities

secondary to the event, including estimated cost. This is for possible provision

of financial assistance in the rehabilitation of the facility.

v. Summary of Logistical Assistance. Shows the logistical assistance given to a

locale after the occurrence of an incident. It includes the source of assistance,

recipient of assistance, items provided, and amount.

vi. Cluster Services Provided. Information on all the actions taken by respective

Cluster Partners, identified needs, and other details of the response operations.

► Health Services. Include but not limited to the following services: first aid,

consultation and treatment, patient transport, prevention and control of

diseases (not limited to measles immunization, tetanus vaccination, and

vitamin A supplementation), chemoprophylaxis, reproductive health (not

limited to family planning and natal care), health education, referrals, and

provision of CAMPOLAS. It also includes the number of population served

and areas covered for each service rendered, including hospital services.

► Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH). Include but not limited to the following

services: provision of potable water, distribution of water container, water

testing, water treatment, installation and construction of toilets, provision of

hygiene kits, and dissemination of IEC materials for hygiene promotion. It

also includes the number of population served and areas covered for each

service rendered.

► Nutrition. Include but not limited to the following services: nutrition

assessment, micronutrient supplementation, supplementary feeding,

integrated management of acute malnutrition, and infant and young child

feeding. It also includes the number of population served and number of

areas covered for each service rendered.

► Psychosocial Services. Include but not limited to the following services:

psychological first aid, community and family support, counselling,

psychosocial processing, stress management, and referral of cases. It also

includes the number of population served and number of areas covered for

each service rendered.

vii. Mass Dead. Gives the number of mass deaths (identified and unidentified),

number of unidentified bodies that have undergone disaster victim identification,

number of bodies buried, etc.

(Note: Templates of all these reports are available in the OpCen Manual.)

2.6 Flow of Reports During Emergencies and Disasters

Figure 25 illustrates the generic flow of reports during normal times and during any health

emergency or disaster. The flow covers reports coming from: the LGUs (from the local

health facility up to the municipal/city health office to the provincial health office); the

private sector; and the DOH hospitals. All reports go through the respective ROs and

ultimately to HEMB at the DOH Central Office, which is the repository of all reports.

2.7 Frequency of Reporting

Frequency of reporting does not follow a definite schedule. It varies according to the type

of report to be submitted. The table below shows the frequency of reporting per type of

report and the corresponding recipients of each report.

2.8 Verifying the Report

Verification is an independent procedure that is done to check the veracity of data

collected from monitoring. It evaluates if the content of the incident complies with the

requirements for reporting. It is often an internal process in which the emergency staff

on duty calls the concerned office/staff handling and managing the event or incident.

Verification aims to: (i) make sure the data are closest to the truth or what really happened

during the event; (ii) see patterns – in persons, places and time – giving meaning to the

data until they become meaningful information; and (iii) integrate the gathered information

with other information and evaluate it in terms of the issues confronting the health sector

until it becomes evidence. Following are the steps in verifying reports:

a. Any health or health-related event, once monitored, is submitted for verification.

b. The EOD verifies the event with the Regional Coordinator or with the appropriate

agency handling and managing the event.

c. The Regional Coordinator or the agency concerned will then verify it with the

responding unit at the site.

d. If the event is determined true by a reliable source, the EOD may finalize the

information gathered until it becomes reflected in the HEARS Plus Report.

2.9 Notifying the Superiors

The HEMS Coordinators at DOH-CO, RO and DOH hospital are expected to notify

their respective immediate supervisors regarding the event and seek clearance for

the submission of reports to higher levels without jeopardizing the speed of reporting.

Updating superiors does not follow a regular interval. It must be done as often as valid

information is conveyed to the OpCen. After the event/incident is brought to the attention

of the superiors, either by a call or a Flash report, updates/situation reports should be

provided containing the following information.

B. Communication Management

Information and knowledge obtained relative to the health emergency or disaster are expected to be

shared and disseminated to different audiences/users. These could be the concerned offices within

the DOH family at the central and regional levels and in the DOH hospitals, the external agencies

and partners in the health sector involved in the response, as well as the general public. Risk

Communication is the approach to be adopted in managing the dissemination of these information/

knowledge, including proper media management.

B.1. Risk Communication

Risk communication is the purposeful exchange of information about the existence, nature and form,

and severity or acceptability of health risks between policymakers, health care providers, and the

public/media. It is aimed at changing behavior and inducing action to minimize/reduce risks. It is

imperative that the DOH-CO, RO and DOH hospital officials and staff involved in response management,

including the local health officials and health workers, develop the habit of communicating health risks

before, during and post-disaster.

1. General Guidelines

1.1 Risk communication is essential in informing the public, the DOH family and its partners

regarding the response to health emergency and disaster for the following reasons:

a. It is the fundamental right of the population to access information about the risks

they face.

b. Organizations are seen to be more legitimate and effective when they are transparent

and open with information.

c. The risk is shared by the organization and the population.

d. Risk communication serves as an avenue for information and education to the

communities, health personnel and decision-makers. It gives a better chance of

explaining risks to the population more effectively.

e. Populations can make better choices when they are better informed.

f. The emergency information can stimulate behavior change.

g. Risk communication prevents misallocation and wasting of resources.

h. It can lower the incidence of illness, injuries and deaths.

1.2 There are seven principles you need to observe in risk communication.

a. Accept and involve the public as a partner. Your goal is to produce an informed

public, not to defuse public concerns or replace actions.

b. Plan carefully and evaluate your efforts. Different goals, audiences and media require
different actions.

c. Listen to the public’s specific concerns. People often care more about trust,

credibility, competence, fairness, and empathy than about statistics and details.

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d. Be honest, frank and open. Trust and credibility are difficult to obtain; once lost, they

are almost impossible to regain.

e. Work with other credible sources. Conflicts and disagreements among organizations make

communication with the public much more difficult.

f. Meet the needs of the media. The media are usually more interested in politics than risk,

simplicity than complexity, danger than safety.

g. Speak clearly and with compassion. Never let your efforts prevent your acknowledging the

tragedy of an illness, injury or death. People can understand risk information, but they may

still not agree with you; some people will not be satisfied.

2. Specific Guidelines

2.1 Identification of risks to be addressed

a. Identify risks of the hazard using the risk management process.

b. Determine the knowledge and the behaviors to be learned and adopted to prevent

the risks. These will be the basis for the development of the risk communication

message.

Example

Hazard:

Risk:

Knowledge:

Behavior:

• Typhoon

• Flooding

• Prevention of leptospirosis

• Signs and symptoms of leptospirosis

• Measures to prevent complications from leptospirosis

• Home management of leptospirosis

• Bring eligible children for measles immunization and vitamin A supplementation.

• Bring children with early signs and symptoms of measles to health workers.

• Proper care and management of measles.

2.2 Program implementation. Execute the communication strategies identified in the Risk
Communication Plan

2.3 Program evaluation and impact assessment

a. Evaluate the process or assess the strategies/activities that were implemented as

against the plan.

b. Assess the impact of the program in terms of the change in the knowledge and

behavior of the target group/audience.

3. Risk Communication Tasks Pre- During- Post Impact

There are several tasks that need to be carried out relative to risk communication during the Response

Phase from Pre- During- Post impact.

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B.2. Media Management

Media plays a very important role in risk communication and handling media is very crucial in

health emergency management. Understanding the media is one of the significant tasks of a health

emergency manager.

1. General Guidelines

1.1 Always use standard terminology for media management in order to standardize

communications between stakeholders.

1.2 Use training courses to keep journalists abreast.

1.3 Consider bringing the media into your organization.

1.4 Always have an identified media spokesperson.

1.5 Be knowledgeable on what the media needs to know. Be transparent.

2. Specific Guidelines

2.1 Familiarize yourself with what media want.

a. Know what kind of information the media want.

b. Consider that media run after information to sell their story and in return merit needed

ratings for their newspapers and radio or TV.

2.2 Be prepared for what media will ask

a. Make available for media consumption information on the nature, effect and other

vital facts about the risk.

b. Consider that information should be brief and concise so that it will not create

misinformation. Below are some of the important data/information that media want:

► Casualties

Ô Number killed or injured

Ô Number who escaped

Ô Nature of the injuries received

Ô Care given to the injured

Ô Disposition of the dead

Ô Prominence of anyone who was killed, injured or escaped

Ô How escape was handicapped or cut off

► Property damage

Ô Estimated value of loss

Ô Description – kind of building, etc.

Ô Importance of the property, e.g., business operations, historic value, etc.

Ô Other property threatened

Ô Insurance protection

Ô Previous emergencies in the area

► Causes

Ô Testimony of participants

Ô Testimony of witnesses

Ô Testimony of key responders (e.g., AFD, EHS, UTPD)

Ô How emergency was discovered

Ô Who sounded the alarm

Ô Who summoned aid

Ô Previous indications of danger

► Rescue and Relief

Ô The number engaged in rescue and relief operations

Ô Any prominent persons in the relief crew

Ô Equipment used

Ô Handicaps to rescue

Ô How the emergency was prevented from spreading

Ô How property was saved

Ô Acts of heroism

► Descriptions of the crisis or disaster

Ô Spread of the emergency

Ô Blasts and explosions

Ô Crimes or violence

Ô Attempts at escape or rescue

Ô Duration

Ô Collapse of structures

Ô Extent of spill

► Accompanying Incidents

Ô Number of spectators – spectators’ attitudes and crowd control

Ô Unusual happenings

Ô Anxiety, stress of families, survivors, etc.

► Legal actions

Ô Inquests, coroner’s reports

Ô Police follow-up

Ô Insurance company actions

Ô Professional negligence or inaction

Ô Suits stemming from the incident

2.3 Decide when to release information.

a. If people are at risk, do not wait.

b. Inform people concerned of any risk you are investigating and why.

c. If it seems likely that media (or others) may release information, release it yourself.

d. Fill in information gaps for the media.

e. If preliminary results show a problem, release them and explain the tentativeness of

the data.

f. If the information will not make sense without other relevant information, wait to

release all the related information all at once.

g. Advise community on interim actions while waiting to confirm data.

h. If you don’t trust your data, don’t release it.

i. Consider the following:

► Although the agency is vulnerable to criticism, one may be more vulnerable if

information is withheld.

► The alarm caused by early release will be less than the alarm that can be

compounded by resentment and hostility if information is withheld.

2.4 Decide when to release information.

a. Press release – Follow the following basic press release structure:

► Summarize the content: “In a press statement today, the Mayor called on….”

► Quote the source: “A public health emergency can only be avoided by…,” the

Secretary said.

► Link the quote to an important event that is of public knowledge: “The statement

was made referring to the recent outbreak of measles where 10 children died…”

► Acknowledge controversy but show that this is the best course of action:

“Despite overwhelming resistance to…,the action is needed because …”

► Tell the public what to do: “In support of this, the public is asked to…” For more

information call…

b. Press statement – It should:

► Include opening remarks.

► State the action.

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194
 ► Link it to an event.

► State other supporters of the action.

► Inform people of their role.

c. Preparing for a press conference

► Before a press conference:

Ô Prepare (update) media directory.

Ô Select a location which is accessible to media.

Ô Make sure there are no other (newsworthy) events happening at the time of

your event/press conference.

Ô Issue a press conference advisory with the following basic information:

3 Date

3 Topic or agenda

3 Time

3 Location

3 Contact information

Ô Follow up calls after issuing advisory.

Ô In the event of other “breaking” news, try to reschedule your event or reach

out to journalists on a one-on-one basis to generate a few stories.

Ô Prepare logistics needed. The ideal setup includes a podium (or table) and

microphones for the speakers.

3 For indoor press conferences, leave space for TV cameras at the

back of the room.

3 Provide for sign-in table where media can register their name and

contact information.

3 Prepare a simple signage, e.g., banner behind the speakers. Name

plates for speakers may also be necessary.

3 Prepare a press kit to hand out to media during the press conference.

A press kit may contain:

h Press release containing key information presented at the press

conference

h Fact sheets or background information (including graphs, charts,

photos, etc.)
h Copies of prepared statements

h Brief background information and photo of speakers

Ô Prepare speakers or spokespersons for the event.

Ô Decide the order of speakers. Ideally, no more than three speakers should

be decked per forum.

Ô Develop a brief statement (under 10 minutes is a good rule-of-thumb) or

provide spokespersons with talking points and Questions and Answers

(Q&As).

Ô Include “quotable phrases” or “sound bites” in the prepared statement.

Ô Prepare visual aids (must be easily seen from any point in the press areas).

Ô Anticipate questions and prepare clear, brief answers.

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Ô Schedule a rehearsal before the press conference.

► During the press conference:

Ô Arrive at least an hour before the event to give time to attend to any lastminute matters.

Ô Assign staff to greet media guests as they arrive and direct them to the

sign-in table.

Ô Start on time even if few people are in attendance.

Ô Review with the moderator the tasks. The moderator shall have been

prepared before the event.

3 Moderator welcomes the media, briefly explains why the press

conference has been called, and acknowledges the speakers and

other VIPs present.

3 Moderator may summarize key messages and open the session to

questions. The Q&A portion should last no more than 30 minutes.

3 Moderator may ask the reporter to identify himself/herself and the

name of his/her organization before asking a question.

3 Moderator designates the appropriate speaker to answer the question

(in case there is more than one speaker).

3 Moderator should not let the press conference drag on or fizzle out.

3 He/she should step in and formally conclude the proceedings.

Ô Consider the following:

3 In science journalism, off-the-record, not-for-attribution, nopublication news conferences are neither

unknown nor totally without

merit.
3 An ideal press conference should last no more than one hour.

3 TV reporters may still want to get speaker aside for some on-camera

comments after the conclusion of the press conference.

► After the press conference

Ô Consider sending thank you notes to the VIPs who attended.

Ô Distribute press kits to key media who were unable to attend.

Ô Monitor the press for coverage.

C. Post-Incident Evaluation

Post-Incident Evaluation (PIE) is one of the major sources of information that can be used to further

enhance the management of the response to health emergencies or disasters. The PIE ensures that

all the actions taken during the event are evaluated and lessons learned are documented to be able to

come up with appropriate recommendations and suggestions for a better response in future events.

1. General Guidelines

1.1 After every emergency/disaster or special event is monitored and acted upon, a PostIncident
Evaluation shall be conducted.

1.2 It is important to involve the deployed teams in the PIE at the end of the Response Phase.
1.3 The evaluation at the end of the Response Phase is often done in a structured meeting

among participants involved in the response.

2. Specific Guidelines

2.1 Make a comprehensive review of the event/incident covering the following:

► Status of HEPRR plans and preparedness prior to the emergency/disaster

► Communications in place

► Early Warning and Alert Response System including origins, transmission and

receipt, processing, dissemination, actions taken (by sender and recipient), and

functioning of warning systems

► Emergency Operations Center, acquisition, receipt and handling of information,

display and assessment of disaster situation, decision-making, and dissemination

of decisions and information

► Activation of the Hospital Emergency Incident Command System and Emergency

Response Plan

► Mobilization of response facilities/units

► Assignment of tasks to units/departments involved in the response operation

► Operations for internal and external emergencies that carried out search and rescue/

search and recovery, casualty handling, initial relief measures, clearance of vital

routes/areas, evacuation, restoration of services, and handling the mass dead

► Cluster services: Health, WASH, Nutrition and Psychosocial Support services

► Assessment of Risk Communication in Promotion and Advocacy (e.g., public

information, media relations)

► Provision of information for recovery programs

► Human Resource Development concerns (e.g., training, welfare, etc.)

► External assistance arrangements – CO, RO, international donor community

► Any special factors raised by the nature and effects of the particular disaster

► Research requirements revealed by the disaster

2.2 Identify the strengths and weaknesses encountered and process the learning using the

following questions:

► What worked well? Why did these work well?

► What did not work well? Why not?

► What are the insights from these experiences in the context of the present event, as

well as past events?

► What are the recommendations for future response work?

2.3 Consider other documented sources of insights from actual experiences (e.g., PostMission, Final
Reports) of the deployed teams in your review.

2.4 Where appropriate, include the briefing from technical experts on future trends and

developments to help achieve optimum utilization of post-incident experiences into the

Post-Incident Evaluation.

2.5 Come up with a set of lessons learned (either as new lessons or validated ones) based on

previous experiences to further enhance the response management.

2.6 Undertake a critical review of the results of the assessment and based on this, come up

with recommendations to further enhance the response management.

2.7 Use the results of the PIE as basis for the finalization of the Final Report.

D. Post-Incident Evaluation

1. General Guidelines

1.1 HEMS at the DOH-CO, RO and hospitals, being the repository of information in relation

to health emergencies and disasters, shall document the key results and processes of

the response as reference for any future events that it may serve.

1.2 HEMS in the DOH-CO, ROs and hospitals shall put into writing all the events monitored,

reported, coordinated and responded to, and come up with an analysis that presents

facts and findings that may be used to improve preparedness and response of the offices.

1.3 All internal activities that will serve as a guide or reference to staff which will reduce or

eliminate operation ambiguity and will improve the office processes continuously shall be

recorded, filed and maintained.

1.4 Essential information must be utilized to serve as a basis for future plans, and strategies

of the office must be shared and published.

1.5 Essential documents and records are needed to track the progress of the response on a

day to day basis.

2. Specific Guidelines

2.1 Documentations on the Event/Incident shall be prepared:

a. HEMS Final Report. This is the last documentation of any major event or disaster

which has been previously reflected in HEARS. It is written after all the final reports

of the regions affected by the emergency or disaster have been received from the

RHEMS Coordinator and all the response efforts of the DOH have been terminated.

It comes in three parts: Part 1 consists of a one-page Executive Summary; Part 2

consists of the Detailed Report; and Part 3 contains the annexes such as tables of

raw data, maps, pictures, etc.

 2.2 Annual List of Emergencies and Disasters by
Category (Minor and Major) and by Type

a. Master List of Emergencies and Disasters Monitored by Classification. This document

serves as an attachment to the Monthly Accomplishment Report to tabulate all the

events monitored in a month. The events recorded in the HEARS Plus Report are

listed in this form, including the details of casualties, affected population, and actions

taken on the incident. This form is summarized by tallying the number of events per

category through the Tally of Monthly Events Form. The data needed in each field

are described in Table 41:

b. Analysis Report of Events Monitored by HEMS-OpCen. The Analysis Report

(Quarterly and Annually) shows the analysis of the events monitored according to its

magnitude, nature and classification (natural, biological, technological, societal, and

special events). The results are correlated to previous results and analysis is made

to determine the progress, effectiveness and changes needed for the operations.

This also reflects the analysis of the timeliness of the reports released to partners.
Analyses are presented with graphs and tables for visual presentation.

Once the report is approved and signed by the Head of Office, the analysis is posted on the HEMS

website for public consumption. Results are also discussed with the HEMS Operations Center staff

through PowerPoint presentation during the EODs’ meeting.