Is it a cold or something worse?

The nightly news is teaming with stories about seemingly healthy young people becoming critically ill from the H1N1 virus, and people are worried.

I am no exception. When I hear a coworker cough of sniffle, I get a little uneasy. I have been able to stay healthy during this young flu season. However, should I find myself running a fever and coughing, my unease might turn to worry. And where do most folks go when they are worried about their health? The doctor, or if they can’t wait for an appointment, the ED.

EDs are crowded as is. The last thing ED staff members need is people presenting to the ED that are afraid their head cold could kill them. That is why Emory University and Microsoft have teamed up to create a the H1N1 (Swine Flu) Response Center.

The H1N1 (Swine Flu) Response Center is a Web-based assessment tool that asks site visitors a series of questions, including:

• Age
• Gender
• Geographic location
• Severity of symptoms
• Length of symptoms

After answering these questions, users receive symptom management advice. In severe cases, the tool instructs users to consult a physician immediately. In less severe scenarios, the tool may instruct users to visit a walk-in clinic or stay in bed and drink fluids.

Site sponsors hope people with less severe symptoms will use this tool’s advice instead of visiting the ED, but is it enough? Some folks might be satisfied by this tool opinion, but others might not trust the advice, after all, there is no better cure for worry than the clinical judgment of a real, live healthcare professional, right.

Tell us about what is going on at your facility. Is your ED crowed with people with flu symptoms, looking for a little reassurance that they are not facing peril? Has your facility developed a system to handle the expected surge in visitors?