Simulation-based Planning and Training Tool for Infectious Disease Outbreak, i.e., Pandemic Influenza

Medical experts and public health officials agree that the nation is overdue for an infectious disease outbreak, most probably through pandemic influenza. Because of the relative rarity of pandemic influenza (three times in the 20th Century, with the most recent in 1968), there is a severe lack of experienced responders to these types of events. It is therefore critically vital for medical treatment facility (MTF) personnel to have the opportunity to practice developing and deploying plans prior to an actual occurrence. A strategic simulation-based game environment that allows MTF administrators and supervisors to understand the causal relationships that strategic planning and tactical decision-making have on the spread of disease will enable them to respond quickly and effectively. The PC-based real-time strategy game proposed here will evaluate users’ ability to recognize early warning signs and track their strategic planning and decision making when presented with actual events. This simulation-based planning and training tool for infectious disease outbreak will allow practice of mitigation strategies at the local medical treatment facility (MTF) level, which will likely reduce the spread of disease in the event of pandemic influenza.