Introduction to Geographic Information Systems in Public Health

by Melnick, Alan

• ISBN13: 9780834218789
• ISBN10: 083421878X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-03-18
• Publisher: Jones & Bartlett Learning

Summary

This clear and accessible text helps public health professionals gain a solid understanding of geographic information system technology, what it is, how it works, and how it shapes their careers. Using examples drawn from public health practice, The author fully explains this exciting technological development. The text builds from basic to more advanced topics, such as: A description and the history of GIS Getting started using GIS: hardware, software, and Internet essentials Examples of the use and relevance of GIS for environmental health, communicable disease control, injury prevention, chronic disease prevention and control, and community health assessment and improvement Also, limitations and potential problems of the technology the connection between GIS technology and public health management and practice, including the future role of public health officials Also includes graphs, charts and maps to reinforce the text; tables that summarize important information; and URLs for useful web sites; glossary of key terms

Author Biography

Alan L. Melnick, MD, MPH, is Currently Director of Joint Residency in Family Medicine/Public Health & General Preventive Medicine, as well as Assistant Professor at Oregon Health & Sciences University Department of Family Medicine, he is also Health Officer for Clackamas County, Oregon. His career in public health includes several policy roles at the state and federal levels. He participated in a NACCHO pilot project to test new software for APEXPH98, and helped develop a prototype of an APEX-compatible Geographic Information Systems application for community health assessment

Table of Contents

Forword	xi
Preface	xiii
Introduction	1	(8)
Historical Uses of Geographic Information in Public Health	2	(5)
Chapter Review	7	(2)
GIS Data Acquisition and Storage	9	(36)
Definition of GIS	9	(1)
Data Acquisition and Storage: Incorporating Spatial Databases	10	(4)
Scale and Projection	14	(1)
Incorporating Attribute Databases	15	(1)
Demographic Data	16	(1)
Socioeconomic Data	17	(1)
Vital Statistics Data	17	(5)
Morbidity Data	22	(7)
Health Resources and Expenditures	29	(1)
Other Health-Related Data Sources Useful in Community Health Planning	30	(2)
Other Data with Public Health Implications	32	(1)
Environmental Data	33	(3)
Meteorological Data	36	(1)
Adding Location Information to Attribute Data: Global Positioning System	36	(1)
Data Verification: Metadata (Data about Data)	36	(5)
Chapter Review	41	(4)
GIS Data Transformation: Making Maps	45	(20)
Geocoding	45	(2)
Event Mapping	47	(1)
Overlays	48	(1)
Choropleth Maps	48	(6)
Querying: Distance and Buffering	54	(2)
Statistical Issues	56	(5)
Modeling	61	(1)
Chapter Review	62	(3)
Public Health GIS Applications: Environmental Health	65	(40)
Environmental Exposure and Disease Risk	65	(1)
Notionizing Radiation Exposures: Identifying Exposed Cohorts for Further Studies	65	(2)
Air Emissions	67	(3)
Lead	70	(13)
Drinking-Water Pollution: Using GIS To Target Interventions To Protect Communities from Health Risks Due to Septic Contamination, Nitrates, and Volatile Organic Compounds	83	(4)
Environmental Equity: Communities at Disproportionate Risk	87	(15)
Chapter Review	102	(3)
Public Health GIS Applications: Communicable-Disease Prevention and Control	105	(28)
Vaccine-Preventable Diseases	105	(4)
Vector-Borne and Parasitic Communicable Diseases: Using GIS To Target Communities for Interventions	109	(13)
Sexually Transmitted Disease: Gonorrhea	122	(3)
Tuberculosis	125	(4)
Putting It All Together: An Automated Communicable Disease Surveillance System	129	(1)
Chapter Review	130	(3)
Public Health GIS Applications: Injuries	133	(16)
Unintentional Injuries	133	(12)
Intentional Injuries: Homicide	145	(2)
Chapter Review	147	(2)
Public Health GIS Applications: Chronic Disease Prevention	149	(44)
Health Promotion	149	(5)
Cancer Clusters	154	(13)
Pediatric Cancers	167	(4)
More Common Cancers: Adult and Pediatric Brain Cancer	171	(1)
Studies Using Modeling Techniques To Develop Surrogate Measures of Exposure	172	(6)
Heart Disease	178	(12)
Chapter Review	190	(3)
Public Health GIS Applications: Community Health Assessment and Planning	193	(26)
Planning Service Delivery: Primary Care and Other Human Services	195	(4)
Using GIS in Performing Community Health Assessments	199	(2)
Bringing Community Health Assessment to the Community	201	(6)
Using GIS To Map Community Assets for Public Health and Health Services Planning	207	(2)
Access to Other Human Services	209	(7)
Chapter Review	216	(3)
Limitations of GIS: Lessons Learned and Challenges	219	(8)
Data Quality and Availability	219	(1)
Trained Workforce and Costs	220	(1)
Defining Community	221	(1)
Confidentiality	221	(2)
Misinterpretation of Results	223	(1)
Chapter Review	224	(3)
Getting Started with GIS: Hardware, Operating Systems, and Software	227	(14)
Hardware	227	(2)
Operating Systems	229	(1)
Software	229	(4)
GIS on the Internet	233	(6)
Chapter Review	239	(2)
The Future of GIS and the Role of Public Health Officials	241	(28)
Facilitating Public Health Functions	241	(9)
Facilitating Public Health Performance	250	(5)
Evaluating Public Health Agency Performance	255	(7)
Limitations of GIS in Evaluating Public Health Performance	262	(2)
A Research Agenda for Public Health GIS	264	(1)
The Future of GIS and the Role of Public Health Officials	264	(1)
Diffusing the Technology, Serving as Resources, and Inserting the Science	265	(1)
Chapter Review	265	(4)
Appendix A---Glossary	269	(10)
Table of Sources	279	(18)
Index	297