Protecting First Responders While Maintaining Personal Privacy During the COVID-19 Pandemic: One County's Approach

Matthew Fifolt; Sean McMahon; Christopher Hoff; Lisa Smith; Karen Ayala

doi:10.1097/PHH.0000000000001742

Protecting First Responders While Maintaining Personal Privacy During the COVID-19 Pandemic: One County's Approach

J Public Health Manag Pract. 2023 Sep-Oct;29(5):718-724. doi: 10.1097/PHH.0000000000001742. Epub 2023 Apr 21.

Authors

Matthew Fifolt¹, Sean McMahon, Christopher Hoff, Lisa Smith, Karen Ayala

Affiliation

¹ Department of Health Policy and Organization, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama (Dr Fifolt); Lister Hill Center for Health Policy, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama (Mr McMahon); Community Health Resources, DuPage County Health Department, Wheaton, Illinois (Mr Hoff); Civil Bureau, DuPage County State's Attorney's Office, Wheaton, Illinois (Dr Smith); and DuPage County Health Department, Wheaton, Illinois (Ms Ayala).

PMID: 37097172
DOI: 10.1097/PHH.0000000000001742

Abstract

In this case study, the authors discuss a special situation infectious disease alert process for first responders. Issues explored include the development of this infectious disease alert process and legal issues that the DuPage County Health Department addressed to share protected health information between public health and public safety. The authors illustrate the important relationship between a local health department and its legal counsel as they balanced the needs of different stakeholder groups and identified a solution that satisfied both without infringing on individual privacy. The case study closes with a discussion regarding the value of multisector collaborations and opportunities to improve information sharing between sectors.

MeSH terms

COVID-19* / epidemiology
Communicable Diseases*
Emergency Responders*
Humans
Pandemics / prevention & control
Privacy