[LINK] Dealing with Swine Flu pandemic using the web and smart phones

[Tom Worthington]

Australian government agencies are advising of Swine Flu Precautions 
<http://www.media.tas.gov.au/release.php?id=26520>. When there was 
concern over bird flu I presented on how to use the Internet and 
smart phones, podcasts and the web to help deal with it. This 
included providing advice to the public and to officials on what to 
do, using the technology to manage health resources: 
<http://www.tomw.net.au/2005/wd/birdflu.shtml>.

This is something the government and business are reasonably well 
prepared for. Students in the ANU course 
"<http://studyat.anu.edu.au/courses/COMP2410;details.html>Networked 
Information Systems" COMP2410 learnt how to design web pages for a 
flu pandemic and many of them now work in and for government agencies.

One problem at the time was, and remains, that there is no unified 
web based service in Australia. Each state health authority issues 
its own information in its own format. While this made sense when the 
information was issued in the form of brochures the public might pick 
up at their local library it makes little sense online, where the 
state governments are just as accessible as each other.

The Internet can also be used to keep services operating, including 
government, with fewer staff and where gathering of people is not possible.



Tom Worthington FACS HLM tom.worthington at tomw.net.au Ph: 0419 496150
Director, Tomw Communications Pty Ltd            ABN: 17 088 714 309
PO Box 13, Belconnen ACT 2617                      http://www.tomw.net.au/
Adjunct Senior Lecturer, Australian National University