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Pandemicsimulation.com launches

Northport, NY Applied Visions, Inc. launches a pandemic preparedness website.

Status Update of HICS National Work Group (Sacramento, CA, from 2006-09-27 14:35 to 2006-11-30 13:35)

The Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) is being updated by a national work group under the aegis of the California Emergency Medical Services Authority.

Meeting of EU Health Ministers (Hertfordshire, UK, from 2006-10-20 14:45 to 2006-10-21 14:45)

An informal meeting of EU health ministers

ECDC - WHO Expert Conference (Copenhagen, Denmark, from 2006-10-24 14:55 to 2006-10-26 14:55)

Pandemic preparedness is on the agenda of this meeting of the WHO and ECDC.

Exercise "Common Ground" (, from 2005-11-23 13:00 to 2005-11-24 13:00)

Exercise conducted by UK's Health Protection Agency in 2005.

EU-wide Command Post Exercise - 2006 (Brussels, Belgium, from 2006-10-16 15:08 to 2006-12-31 14:10)

Another 2-day, command post exercise is planned before the end of the year.

Sanofi Pasteur/Crucell H7N1 Vaccine Trials Begin

A phase I clinical trial is reportedly the first to assess safety and efficacy of a split, inactivated prototype pandemic H7N1 vaccine.

Dengue Fever Outbreak Kills Medical Student

India is suffering a Dengue fever outbreak. Nationwide, 80 have been killed and 4,000 infected. One of those fatally stricken was a medical student. Medical facilities face overcrowded conditions.

Overseas Aid Inaction?

Do you feel that enough is being done to minimize risks in Asia?

Comments due: DHHS Critical Infrastructure Plan for Healthcare Systems (, from 2006-10-27 09:05 to 2006-11-27 08:05)

The US DHHS released a draft of their critical infrastructure document for Healthcare and Public Health. Comments are due by this date.

U.S. National Biosurveillance Integration System

Proposed DHS system to give the agency real time data from systems maintained by other agencies.

Game Technology and Military Medicine: Two Way Street? (USC (Los Angeles, CA), from 2006-05-09 11:50 to 2006-05-09 11:50)

CDR Russell Shilling considered ways in which military medicine might presage coming refinements in game technology.

Games for Health

Project description from the Serious Games Initiative

Reasoning about Workflow

Some implementation of workflow concepts is an essential part of a realistic facility scenario.

Hierarchical Task Networks

HTN's are a technique employed by some game engines and other AI applications.

3D Models for Medical Equipment

Gamebuilder tip: DOSCH 3D Medical Equipment contains 90 very detailed and fully textured 3D-models of equipment and related images.

Workflow

Workflow processes and the rule systems to support them

3D Models for Medsims

Creating realistic models for medical facilities challenges game builders. This offering could be a timesaver.

Metrics Matter

Games for entertainment have various measures of success. Do the same metrics apply for serious games?

Learning Management at the Joint Advanced Distributed Learning Co-Laboratory

This Orlando-based "Co-Lab" aims to foster successful implementations of distributed learning within DoD.

Learning Management

Discussion of learning management for pandemic simulation

Haddon Matrix for Strategy Evaluation

The Haddon matrix was developed for vehicular injury analysis decades ago, but could be used for studying pandemic strategies.

Delta3D: Extensible Game Platform

AVI's experience with Delta3D, the open source offering from the MOVES Institute, has been favorable.

Professional Associations: Role-Specific Strategies

Brief references to related work performed by professional associations and others.

HIMSS 2007 Annual Conference (New Orleans, LA, from 2007-02-24 19:00 to 2007-02-28 19:00)

Annual meeting of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society

MedBiquitous

A consortium of member organizations with an interest in healthcare education, MedBiquitous participates in development of technology standards to promote collaboration and improved health care delivery.

World Economic Forum Annual Meeting (Davos, Switzerland, from 2006-01-26 04:00 to 2006-01-26 12:00)

The 2006 annual meeting explored the worldwide implications of an influenza pandemic.

Tabletop Exercise Watch

A list of tabletop pandemic exercises

Training Solutions Conference & Expo (Denver, CO, from 2006-10-23 06:00 to 2006-10-25 12:00)

Training Solutions Conference and Expo will include keynoter Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia. The conference includes an expo featuring interactive tools and training technologies.

LMS Moodle featured in Training Magazine

An article published by Training Magazine took the pulse of open source e-learning software. Moodle is the featured open source product.

Moodle for Serious Games

Discussion of how the open source product Moodle is being used to integrate serious games with standards-based enterprise learning environments.

Moodle LMS

 

Moodle Open Source LMS

 

adlCommunity.net to use Moodle

The US DoD Advanced Distributed Learning initiative created a new virtual community, adlCommunity.net, and selected Moodle products to power it.

Delta3D and SCORM

IEEE Technical Committee on Learning Technology published a description Delta3D's integration with Moodle.

Game Watchlist

Directory of game projects, medsims and research groups working this area

IBAPP Play2Train Commentary

Commentary about work being performed by the Idaho Bioterrorism Awareness and Preparedness Program (IBAPP).

Play2Train (IBAPP)

 

Medsim Conceptual Models

Key organizing principles for a pandemic medsim

Ontologies for Pandemic Simulations

Discussion of possible roles for ontologies in pandemic simulation

FluAid, FluSurge, Epiflex, Los Alamos, NIGMS and others

Other exercises and evidence-based simulations or estimates

Play2Train 3D World

Commentary with screenshots from Play2Train.org

Serious Games Summit 2006 (Washington DC, from 2006-10-30 05:00 to 2006-10-31 13:00)

Annual Serious Games Summit for 2006

Blog for IGDA Game Education SIG

A blog was launched for the IGDA Education SIG

Game Developers Conference 2007 (San Francisco, CA, from 2007-03-05 04:00 to 2007-03-09 12:00)

World's largest industry-only game creation event

Annual Int'l Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare (Lake Buena Vista, FL, from 2007-01-14 05:00 to 2007-01-17 09:00)

Meeting is intended to improve understanding of the use of simulation for education and assessment of health care professionals.

SSH 2007 Symposium on Computer Simulation in Medicine (Montreal, Quebec, from 2007-05-16 05:00 to 2007-05-18 13:00)

Symposium is a forum for industry, medical practitioners and researchers to learn about advancements in computer simulation and healthcare applications.

ELearning Guild 2007 (Boston, MA, from 2007-04-10 05:00 to 2007-04-13 13:00)

Annual meeting of the eLearning Guild for 2007

NEMA Conference - Mid-year 2007 (Alexandria VA, from 2007-02-10 04:00 to 2007-02-15 12:00)

Mid-year meeting of the National Emergency Management Association for 2007

I/ITSEC Annual Conference 2006 (Orlando, FL, from 2006-12-04 04:00 to 2006-12-07 12:00)

Meeting of the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (2006)

I/ITSEC Annual Meeting 2007 (Orlando, FL, from 2007-11-26 04:00 to 2007-11-29 12:00)

Annual meeting of the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (2007).

ASTD International Conference 2007 (Atlanta, GA, from 2007-06-03 05:00 to 2007-06-06 13:00)

Annual meeting of the American Society for Training and Development (2007)

Preparing for Pandemic Influenza (Washington DC, from 2006-10-11 03:30 to 2006-10-12 13:00)

Pandemic Influenza Preparedness: Recurring Conference scheduled for Washington, DC area

CDC Planning Checklist - Discussion

This area of the site contains discussions of the CDC Planning Checklist for Medical Offices and Clinics

Computer Supported Cooperative Work (2006) (Banff, Alberta, Canada, from 2006-11-04 05:00 to 2006-11-08 12:00)

The 2006 meeting is the 20th anniversary of the first meeting of the Computer Supported Cooperative Work conference.

Computer/Human Interaction 2007 (San Jose, CA, from 2007-04-28 05:00 to 2007-05-03 13:00)

CHI is the premier conference on Human-Computer Interaction (CHI).

My So-Called 2nd Life (London, England, from 2006-10-24 09:30 to 2006-10-24 12:00)

Trends and opportunities in the new media space of MMORPGs

International Survey of Pandemic Plans Shows Flawed Priority-setting

A survey published in October 2006 surveyed 50 pandemic influenza plans and found serious flaws in the methods used to set priorities for resources and treatment plans.

Public Library of Science - Medicine

 

International Conference on Health Sciences Simulation (2007) (San Diego, CA, from 2007-01-15 04:00 to 2007-01-17 12:00)

Applications and demonstrations of computer simulation techniques in areas which have implications for heatlh care.

Chinese Fijian-like Strain Reported

A new H5N1 variant, "Fujian-like", has been reported in several Chinese provinces and has already spread to other countries.

ITEC 2007 (Koelnmesse, Cologne (Germany), from 2007-04-24 05:00 to 2007-11-27 10:00)

Conference covers all types of training, simulation, systems and methods "within a theme of Training Transformation."

Blue-Ribbon Commission Calls for More Simulation

An interim report by The Blue Ribbon Commission on Mega-Catastrophes of The Financial Services Roundtable calls for enhanced and continuing use of simulations for critical infrastructure.

Simdemic.com launched

Applied Visions Inc. launched www.simdemic.com, a project design site for its pandemic simulation game concept.

"Disaster Resistance": Communiques from the Front

Thoughtful and locale-appropriate, the King County Emergency Services Office of Emergency Management includes Eric Holdeman's blog. It's one example of a government official tracking multiple and diverse threads in an effort to make a difference, or -- as the County puts it -- "promoting disaster resistant communities."

Eric Holdeman, Director

 

Eric Holdeman, Director

 

Pandemic Promotion

The December 2-3 weekend insert from the New York Times prominently featured its book "Deadly Invaders."

NYTimes Book Deadly Invaders

 

Avian vector search should look southward?

A U.S. National Academy of Sciences report suggests risks may actually be higher from northward, rather than southern migration patterns into the U.S.

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DHS Simulation-Based Training RFI

In 2004, the Department of Homeland Security issued a Request for Information to solicit information on "existing, operational systems and new, innovative technologies that can support simulation-based training for incident management."

H5N1 DNA Vaccine Trials Begin

The first NIH volunteer received a DNA-based H5N1 vaccine at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda. The candidate vaccine was the NIH vaccine off the assembly line at a new plant.

Resurgent Game-maker Acclaim To Meet Bird Flu?

Acclaim Entertainment ceased operations in 2005, but Howard Marks bought what assets remained and relaunched the company as "Acclaim Games." Marks is scheduled to speak at the Game Developer 2007 conference on the subject of "Bird Flu."

Acclaim Games

 

Idaho Preparedness Group Adds Virtual ISO-POD

The Idaho Bioterrorism Awareness and Preparedness Program is experimenting with a virtual version of an ISO-POD to its Second Life medical world. The ISO-POD is a bio-isolation transport and temporary isolation solution for first responders built by TVI Corporation. TVI is also a supplier of hospital surge, filtration, decontamination, first responder trailers and related equipment.

2,500 British Turkeys Die of H5N1

There have been no reports of preparedness adjustments in response to the death of 2,500 turkeys infected by H5N1 at a single farm near Lowestoft in the British county of Suffolk. Separately, the WHO confirmed a human H5N1 fatality in Nigeria, the first in sub-Saharan Africa.

Disaster Preparedness Summit - 2007 (Philadelphia PA USA, from 2007-03-22 04:30 to 2007-03-22 10:50)

Hopeful tagline for this conference: "A disaster to your business does not have to be a disaster for your business. " Conference is one of several given throughout the U.S.

Public Health Preparedness Summit for 2007 (Washington DC, from 2007-02-19 01:00 to 2007-02-23 12:00)

The Summit is co-sponsored by Tufts University School of Medicine, the Association of Public Health Laboratories, NEMA, CDC, Association of Schools of Public Health, Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, Health Resources and Services Administration, Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs, and the National Association of City and County Health Officials.

Public Health Preparedness Summit

 

U.S. National Emergency Management Summit (New Orleans, LA, from 2007-03-04 04:00 to 2007-03-06 12:00)

Leading forum on medical preparation and response to disasters, epidemics and terrorism. Keynote speakers include Marvin Birnbaum (Pres. World Assoc. for Disaster and Emergency Medicine), Peter Losi (VP, Response Government Operations for the American Red Cross), Glenn Cannon (Director, Response Division for FEMA), and other notables.

National Emergency Management Summit

 

National Emergency Management Summit

 

National Emergency Management Summit

 

Games + Learning + Society - 3.0 (Madison WI, from 2007-07-11 20:00 to 2007-07-12 20:00)

Conference highlights include: a special session of hands-on workshops designed by and for videogame researchers and designers; a two-day lounge featuring Chat 'n' Frag sessions with key scholars and designers; fireside chats with industry leaders and special guests; a game room; webcasts of selected conference sessions; and a signature dinner party in the glass lobby of the Overture Center for the Arts.

PandemicSimulation.com

 

H1N1 Outbreak "Public Health Emergency"

It's "standard operating procedure," says DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano, but she advises that "preparatory steps" are being taken by the government.

Guardian Reviews UK's 2007 Pandemic Flu Plan

As part of its swine flu coverage, highlighted by the revelation on the same day that two UK citizens were confirmed to have contracted the disease, the Guardian reviewed the British government's pandemic flu contingency plan.

H1N1 2009 Outbreak - Recommended

Recommended readings for the 2009 Swine Flu Outbreak

Pandemicsimulation.com - H1N1 Recommended Sites (Northport NY, from 2009-04-27 14:22 to 2011-04-27 14:25)

Recommended sites covering the 2009 H1N1 outbreak

Bibliography

Articles of interest to computer-assisted and game-based pandemic planning

WHO Raises Alert Level to V

The WHO raised its pandemic flu alert to Phase V on April 29, 2009.

GLEaMviz.org : model viz

Predictions from the GLobal Epidemic and Mobility modeler are being presented online as the 2009 H1N1 outbreak unfolds.

GLobal Epidemic And Mobility model

 

Northwestern ESAM Worst Case Swine Flu Projections

The Brockmann Group at the Northwestern University Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics group is updating their computer simulations of the 2009 H1N1 outbreak regularly.

Research on Complex Systems (Northwestern University)

 

Digital Games Research Association

DiGRA is a professional society dedicated to advance the study of digital games, and to foster the development of research practices and standards in the field.

Virtual Virus Pandemic: Model for RL?

A Lancet study by Lofgren and Fefferman suggested that a 2007 virtual virus affecting the World of Warcraft game could be "an untapped experimntal framework."

World of Warcraft

 

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Search PubMed Pandemic Flu Research Listings

The NIH maintains a list of related research publications relevant to public health planning for pandemic influenza.

Investigators Employ Protege to Model Pandemic Scenarios

A Sweden-based research group developed an ontology-based representation of pandemic influenza outbreak scenarios. Their work entails the use of an open source ontology modeling tool, Protege.

Protege Ontology Framework

 

Dilbert on Washington Post

Dilbert Cartoon appearing on the Washington Post - October 27, 2009