Traditionally, researchers sequester their data/analysis until it is either presented at an academic conference (with limited attendance/digital footprint) or published in a peer-reviewed journal (potentially, more than a year after the original research).  H1N1 requires rapid sharing of information across disciplines to increase the speed of research and understanding to create vaccines, interventions, etc.

PLoS Currents: Influenza - a mash-up of the Public Library of Science (PLoS), Google Knol, and the National Library of Medicine's National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) - combines three unlikely partners to enable researchers to share and discuss research before publication, promoting rapid advances in H1N1 research.

The peer review process for publication of scientific research can take years.  This lag stifles innovation.  In order to effectively respond to the H1N1 pandemic, research findings must be quickly shared in a manner that promotes discussion and derivative research, while ensuring that scientists are credited in the traditional (slower) system of peer-reviewed publication.

This is accomplished not by bypassing the peer-review process, but by setting up a system for information exchange prior to peer-review. 

Scientists who wish to share information in this way start by creating a knol in Google Knol for their findings.  Google Knol is a user-generated/moderated content system designed to encourage discussion, allowing for different viewpoints to be presented (as opposed to tradition wikis which require consensus, creating the potential for "edit wars.").  Knols have a variety of addition features, such a user profiles, ratings, and reviews, which enhance community interaction.

The knol is then submitted to PLoS Currents: Influenza and reviewed by PLoS subject matter experts.  This is NOT a traditional peer-review process.  Reviewers do not evaluate articles at the same level of scrutiny.  They simply evaluate if the work has scientific merit.  Those articles which are deemed appropriate are added to PLoS Currents: Influenza.  Publishers are expected to not consider an article in PLoS Currents as "prior publication."  Discussion between researchers, meanwhile, happens in the knol, which displays the PLoS Currents banner.

Once included in PLoS Currents, articles are archived at NCBI's Rapid Research Notes (RRN).  This is separate from PubMed.  Articles are licensed under Creative Commons to encourage further use.

Since PLoS Currents: Influenza went online in August, only 42 articles have been added.  However, the system demonstrates how new methods of communication and collaboration within the research community can be developed without encroaching on tradition.

In public health, particularly in pandemic preparedness, dissemination of authoritative, accurate information to the public is a key issue.  The message must be propagated across as wide an audience as possible, while ensuring that the message does not change as it is dispersed.

The most efficient method of dispersing information throughout a community is to relay the message to the key information nodes and allow the information to propagate through the effective channels each community has naturally developed.  This the basis for the Domain Name System (DNS), the Internet's "address book", which is quite robust.  One-to-all electronic technologies, such as RSS and widgets, will work only as long as there is electricity to power connected devices.  Neither technology can cross the digital divide.

As for keeping the message consistent, I recently attended a lecture given by Dr. Robert Provine of the University of Maryland School of Music.  During the Q&A Dr. Provine was asked why lyrics of certain children's songs had not changed over time  He explained that oral traditions are conservative in nature, meaning information is preserved, rather than altered.  In his research he has found that children's songs, as well certain imported sacred traditions, rarely undergo change.

How can this be applied to pandemic preparedness and response?  Perhaps by following the lead of successful HIV/AIDS information outreach programs and actively engaging community information nodes (teachers, religious/spiritual leaders, hair stylists, and servers/bartenders).  State and local public health officials (using accurate, authoritative guidance) can interact with these individuals face-to-face.    They, in turn, will interact face-to-face with citizens.  Allow the message to be propagated into communities through an oral tradition.

What message are they given?  That's a separate discussion.  However, they could teach a song about washing hands and staying home when you're sick...

(to the tune of "This Old Man")
Wash your hands
Cover your cough
If you're sick, take a day off
Go to Flu dot gov or W H O
For the things that you should know

It's kind of catchy, actually.