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Implementation Guide

For public health organizations wanting to use POD Assist:
POD Assist has been used by CDC and public health departments
  1. Please send an email message with your request to set up a dispensing event to ctscloud@cdc.gov.
  2. If required, the POD Assist team can provide a demonstration of POD Assist capabilities and benefits for your dispensing operation.
  3. The POD Assist team will work with you to set up proper accounts, events, and data use agreements.
  4. Once the event is set up and depending on the level of access provided, you may be able to create your own accounts and let your staff have access to POD Assist.
  5. After you are set up, the POD Assist team will coordinate with you to “publish” your dispensing event and help you start using the system.
  6. During the event, the POD Assist team will provide remote support and assist you in managing your event.
  7. Once the event is complete, the POD Assist team will assist in transferring the event data to you and removing it from the POD Assist system.
For the populations affected by a public health emergency:
POD Assist mobile app
  1. An organization partnering with CDC will set up a dispensing event with POD Assist.
  2. Once the event has been published, the organization will let you know how to access the registration site in POD Assist. This can be done through an internet address or a QR code.
  3. After accessing the registration site, you will be able to register and receive your registration information and possible eligibility to receive a medical countermeasure. During registration you will receive a personalized QR code that you can bring to the point of dispensing (POD).
  4. Once at the POD, present your QR code, which will be scanned by staff and help move you through the process to receive your countermeasure or Medical Consult, if necessary.

FAQs

My public health organization would like to use POD Assist to dispense medical countermeasures; how do I get started?

If you are interested in using the CDC POD Assist application, please contact the POD Assist team at ctscloud@cdc.gov.

I am organizing a vaccination campaign; how soon can I start dispensing vaccine using POD Assist?

Setting up a dispensing event in POD Assist can be done easily, with several factors determining how quickly. These include number and type of countermeasures being dispensed (vaccines vs. medications), clinical algorithms used for dispensing, and point of dispensing (POD) logistics and workflow. The POD Assist team has experience setting up such events and can help expedite this process.

Do I need to be a doctor or nurse to become a dispenser using the POD Assist mobile app?

No. Any volunteer or staff member can become a dispenser if the local public health organization provides them with credentials (user accounts) in POD Assist. During public health emergencies, medical expertise can be limited. POD Assist’s clinical algorithms are designed to provide guidance so that anyone can use it. When registering, a person will answer questions from a clinical algorithm; at the end, per their answers, the person will receive a personalized QR code with the respective medical countermeasure. When a person does not meet the criteria for receiving a medical countermeasure, POD Assist generates a QR code for a Medical Consult, thus directing the person to be handled in a separate workflow.

I’ve heard that my local/state health department is using POD Assist. How do I get my medical countermeasure?

Please contact your local/state health department or local organization as they can provide information about how to register and where to go to receive your medical countermeasure.

Do I need to download the POD Assist mobile app to get my medical countermeasure?

No. Members of the general public do not need to download a mobile app to get their QR code with a medical countermeasure recommendation. Instead, they should go to the website provided by their local organization and follow the instructions on how to register and where to go to get their countermeasure.

Why is there a POD Assist mobile app if I do not need it to get a medical countermeasure?

The POD Assist system uses mobile app technology to let volunteers or staff from a local public health organization serve as dispensers in a POD that uses POD Assist. This technology allows the local organization to rapidly empower volunteers to set up a POD and dispense using the resources at hand. It also reduces costs as there is no need to buy equipment in advance. The POD Assist mobile app is used to dispense medical countermeasures, including validating registration QR codes, verifying clinical information, and submitting dispensing information.

What security measures are in place to protect the data that are submitted to CDC?

As a government agency, CDC is bound by federal law that dictates the specific information security rules and processes that must be followed. To comply with these rules, POD Assist uses the CDC Secure Access Management Services (SAMS) portal for electronic authentication. SAMS provides secure access to applications within the CDC environment and functions as the authentication gateway to POD Assist.

For more information, e-mail ctscloud@cdc.gov.