Four community advisory groups reported to Indiana's State Health Commissioner on four topics of immediate interest to pandemic planning: antiviral allocation, community containment measures, altered standards of care, and mental health. The report's recommendations were made by a Community Advisory Group (CAG), whose members included local health department representatives, clinicians, subject matter experts, and a bio-ethicist to guide discussion. Although establishment of advisory groups is a common practice in state health department, the Indiana CAG adopted a thoughtful approach to discussion and decision-making. Subject matter experts provided members with extensive context for the issue under debate in each meeting. Other agencies may find the inclusion of a bioethicist useful for their work as well. The committee also placed significant emphasis on protection of children when crafting its statewide recommendations, and it involved the National Guard to prevent duplication of existing practices in alternate care and triage.
The CAG will continue meeting to address difficult issues in pandemic planning. One reviewer expressed concern that some of the committee's recommendations (e.g., those focusing on school closures) may be out of date and require revision.
