This document discusses using new methods to analyze electronic data to gain health insights, similar to how John Snow used data to identify the source of a cholera outbreak in 1850s London. Specifically, it discusses using natural language processing on electronic pathology reports, informatics approaches for precision medicine and public health, and related funding opportunities at the National Cancer Institute. The goal is to take advantage of new data sources and methods to improve cancer surveillance, epidemiology, and outcomes.

1. Bradford W. Hesse, PhD
Chief, Health Communication and
Informatics Research Branch
Advancing Methods of “Infodemiology” in
Cancer Research:A Funder’s Perspective

2. Environmental surveillance, 1854: Finding the
source of disease
John Snow and the
contaminated water pumps
of London

3. Environmental Surveillance, 2016: Looking for
outbreaks, etiology, course, and end results

4. Source: Topol EJ.The creative destruction of medicine : how the digital revolution
will create better health care. NewYork: Basic Books; 2011.
Can we take advantage of new methods to
mine the electronic environment?

5. July 27, 2012
See also: Hesse BW, Nelson DE, Rutten LF, Moser RP, Beckjord EB, Chou W-YS. National Health Communication Surveillance Systems. In:
D. K. Kim ASGLK, ed. Global Health Communication Strategies in the 21st Century: Design, Implementation, and Evaluation. New
York, NY: Peter Lang; In Press.
From surveillance to health
situational awareness

6. The National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance,
Epidemiology, & End Results Program

8. Natural Language
Processing: E-
Path Reports

9. Georgia Tourassi
Super
Convergence

10. Informatics and Precision Medicine

11. Informatics and Precision Public Health
Epidemiology
Surveillance
Behavior
Public Health Info.

12. Funding Opportunities

13. Smart & Connected Health

14. Informatics Technology for Cancer
Research

15. Big Data to Knowledge: FOA’s

16. Thank You!
hesseb@mail.nih.gov