Wellenreiten im Gesundheitsamt – Digitaler Wandel im Corona-Containment

Breaking “chains of infection” is the goal for the public health service during its pandemic response. This complex task requires digital support in local public health departments. Contrary to popular belief, software suitable for this purpose has been available in most cases since summer 2020 — albeit as non-standardized, local solutions. It is way more important for achieving the goal to define the right division of labor and the appropriate processes, as well as to implement close controlling of contact management. Only then can personnel be additionally deployed in the public health departments on relative short notice depending on the pandemic situation. This field report uses a case study from the city of Nuremberg’s Health Department to show how process organization, IT and controlling should be coordinated. These findings will also help during the upcoming connection of the federally structured health offices in Germany via a central solution (SORMAS). This is because the mere political specification of central solutions does not lead to their effective usability: Again, the tight relationship between software and organization must be taken into account.