This document discusses Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and their applications in health. It provides examples of early GIS use in health like John Snow's cholera maps. It then outlines key uses of GIS in health like mapping disease spread, locating health facilities, and aiding hospital administration. Specific applications mentioned include tracking breast cancer, malaria, nursing homes, and hazardous spill sites. Finally, it lists some free and open source GIS software and resources for further information on health and GIS.

1. Geographic Information System (GIS)
in Health

2. Agenda
● GIS in Health: WHAT, WHY?
● HOW: GIS Applications in Health
● Some Live Examples
● Free and Open Source GIS Software

3. Early GIS Application in Health
● Broad Street cholera
outbreak (1854) –
Snow's theory that
cholera came from
contaminated water
differed from a
commonly held theory
tht diseases were
transmitted by
inhaling vapors.

4. ●GIS in Health: WHAT, WHY?
● Medical Geography – how disease & health
care are distributed spatially.
● Epidemiology – maps progress of disease,
famines, toxic spills and other health disasters
● Health facility surveys – existing, best locations
for new ones.
● Hospital admin, pharmaceutical companies,
managed care providers, etc,

5. HOW: GIS Applications in Health
● Breast Cancer cases at Cape Cod
● Malaria cases in Kenya
● Nursing Homes in Florida
● Large Health Service Providers tracking service
areas (including HMOs)
● A University Medical Center servicing more than
34,000 patients and about 0.5 million
outpatients.
● Tracking hazardous substances (spill)

6. Some Live Examples
● District Health Information System -
http://www.dhis2.org/
● Epispider -
● http://www.epispider.net/
● Geolocate4Health -
http://telehealth-ph.appspot.com/g4h/#pois.list

7. Free and Open Source GIS
Software
● Quantum GIS - http://www.qgis.org/
● OpenLayers - http://openlayers.org
● Open Source - http://opensourcegis.org/
● Free GIS - http://freegis.org/

8. Resources / References
● Health and GIS -
http://www.spatialhydrology.com/health/health.htm
● International Journal of Health Geographics -
http://www.ij-healthgeographics.com/
● GIS Use in Public Health and Healthcare -
http://healthmap.wordpress.com/