About the Network Introduction The Clinicians' Biosecurity Network (CBN) is a secure website that provides authoritative and timely information to clinicians who are interested in biodefense preparedness and response, is run by the Center for Biosecurity, an independent, non-profit Center of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. The CBN has been designed to provide a robust and secure tool for collecting and disseminating information pertinent to biosecurity in the face of ongoing or unusual circumstances such as suspected or confirmed bioterrorism attacks, emergent disease outbreaks, or threats to the nation's medical and/or public health systems. All material posted on the CBN is based on information that has been gathered and analyzed by the staff of the Center for Biosecurity. We expect that over time, the CBN will prove a valuable resource for clinicians. Publications Toward that end, the CBN offers several publications: CBN Report: Brief summaries describing recent developments in science, public health, medicine, governance, national/homeland security, and domestic/foreign policy that have significance for clinicians involved in biodefense. CBN Special Bulletin: Time-stamped updates published during times of unusual and/or ongoing circumstances, such as suspected or confirmed bioterrorism attacks, emergent disease outbreaks, or when there are other threats to the nation's medical and/or public health systems.
Information Sources The staff of the Center for Biosecurity and the editors of the CBN gather, review, and analyze information and data from a wide variety of sources, including the CBN's network of affiliated clinicians, official open-source public health reports, and media reports; we also consult with outside experts when appropriate. Our specific sources of information are described below: CBN Affiliated Clinicians: The editors have invited practicing clinicians from across the country to join the network to provide on-the-ground information when needed and/or during unusual events or circumstances. Each clinician has been selected for his/her expertise in the field and has generously agreed to volunteer knowledge, advice, and insight for the benefit of the CBN. Daily news and database scan and review: Includes NPR, CNN, MSNBC, BBC, New York Times, Washington Post, World News Daily, Yahoo! news, galleryWatch, WashingtonFax, Stratfor, Google News, RealNews Daily Summary, National Journal, CDC Public Health Law News, ANSER's Homeland Security Newsletter, Domestic Preparedness Support, Office of Domestic Preparedness, FAS, as well as the web sites of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Center for Biologic Counter Terrorism and Emerging Diseases, the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, ProMed, and Bioterrorism News. In addition, the Center's staff conduct daily, thorough key word searches of Google, PubMed, LexisNexis, the Federal Register, and when appropriate, other national, international, and local news sources. The websites of more than 80 think tanks, NGOs, and major government departments are scanned regularly. Weekly journal review: Includes the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), The Lancet, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Emerging Infectious Diseases, Nature, Science, Clinical Infectious Disease (CID), the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), and the Annals of Emergency Medicine.
Access All materials published on the CBN are available at no charge and can be read on the CBN website. Access to Special Bulletin requires registration. As part of the registration process, a subscriber can opt to have any or all of the CBN publications delivered to a designated e-mail address automatically. Registration We require registration for 3 reasons: 1. To help us tailor the content of our publications more precisely; 2. To allow subscribers to opt for delivery of CBN materials directly to an e-mail account; 3. To allow us to track the size and growth of our subscriber base. Please note that we are committed to maintaining the privacy of our subscribers, so we do not share or sell our subscriber list or any information from that list to outside entities. Please review our privacy policy for more information. Intended Use During the anthrax attacks of 2001, the dearth of effective communication systems for medical and public health practitioners was widely acknowledged. The CBN was developed in response to provide a readily available source of authoritative and easily accessed information for clinicians. Since 2001, new and reliable sources have emerged, but we believe that the CBN will prove invaluable in the event of another attack. Moreover, we plan to use the CBN to disseminate timely and accurate information about biosecurity to clinicians on a regular basis. While registration for the CBN is open to all, the CBN is specifically designed for practicing clinicians; therefore, the CBN Report and Special Bulletins will be written specifically for a clinical audience. In the event of a bioterrorism attack, we may post information related to disease management gathered from clinicians in the field. While this information will be provided for the purpose of informing professional subscribers, it is not intended as a sole source of treatment information or guidance. The CBN is not a consultation service and the editors will not respond to requests for information about specific, individual cases. CBN Operations and Editorial Processes The CBN is operated by the Center for Biosecurity and does not purport to advance any official positions of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. The Center for Biosecurity maintains editorial control of all material published on the CBN (see Terms of Use for more information). The CBN is administered by an internal editorial board that gathers, reviews, and analyzes data and information from a variety of sources to create CBN publications. Sources of information include but are not limited to a network of affiliated clinicians, official open-source public health reports, media reports, and at times outside experts. Affiliated clinicians are practicing clinicians from across the country who the editors have selected for their expertise and who have agreed to provide information to the CBN when requested or during unusual events or circumstances. Outside experts are professional colleagues known for their particular expertise in specific aspects of biosecurity, medicine, public health, or policy. Note: Mention of specific products by generic or brand name does not constitute endorsement by the CBN, its editors, staff, or affiliated clinicians, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center or its staff, University of Pittsburgh or its faculty or staff, or CBN subscribers. Any mention of specific products is for educational purposes only. Regarding specific products or drugs, physicians and other health care providers are advised to consult their normal resources before prescribing to their patients. Funding Development of the CBN was supported by funding from the Blum-Kovler Foundation. The funders have no involvement in the editorial process, content or operation of the network. |
