A new report from the Government Accountability Office says that many federal, state and local health agencies are behind the curve when it comes to making sure their IT infrastructure can handle pandemic disease management.

With the still-emerging H1N1 flu threat underway, it's only one more reminder that such agencies need to do comprehensive pandemic planning, including plans for IT support, the GAO says.

The report suggests that all government agencies test their IT systems to see that they can meet pandemic monitoring and management demands, strengthen performance monitoring and improve accountability for results.

The GAO also recommends not only that the federal government take a lead role in managing pandemics, but also that all agencies establish plans to monitor and report on plans to protect workers from themselves becoming infected. (This is a particularly timely reminder given the first recorded death of a healthcare worker from H1N1 in the U.S. last week.)

To learn more about this report:
- read this Healthcare IT News piece