Digital epidemiology is the science of using digital tools and sensors like the internet and smartphones to conduct epidemiological studies. It allows for real-time monitoring of disease trends like influenza outbreaks by analyzing data on people's online searches and movements. Examples of digital epidemiology include using mobile network data to track population movements after disasters, and analyzing search engine queries and social media posts to detect influenza epidemics. Researchers have developed several online tools that use these techniques and are studying topics like vaccination confidence through digital epidemiology.

1. Digital Epidemiology

2. It’s the science of conducting
epidemiologic studies using
data coming from digital tools
and sensors, eg the internet or
the smartphones.

4. Possible Applications
• People movements during outbreaks
• Unusual diseases manifestations in
remote places
• Real time influenza monitoring
• Vaccination confidence
• Information monitoring

5. Real Examples

6. Chunara R, Bouton L, Ayers JW, Brownstein JS (2013)
Assessing the Online Social Environment for Surveillance of
Obesity Prevalence.
PLoS ONE 8(4): e61373. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0061373

7. Bengtsson L, Lu X, Thorson A, Garfield R, von Schreeb J (2011)
Improved Response to Disasters and Outbreaks by Tracking
Population Movements with Mobile Phone Network Data: A Post-
Earthquake Geospatial Study in Haiti.
PLoS Med 8(8): e1001083. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001083

8. Jeremy Ginsberg1, Matthew H. Mohebbi1, Rajan S. Patel1, Lynnette Brammer2, Mark
S. Smolinski1 & Larry Brilliant1
Detecting influenza epidemics using search engine query data
Nature 457: 1012–1014 doi:10.1038/nature07634.

9. Online Tools
• Influweb
• Google Flu Trends
• Health map

10. Our Work
• Twitter flu trends
• Allergy trends
• Maternal Health Monitor
• Vaccination Confidence