For many years, vital statistics data have been disseminated in paper form. During the past decade, the expansion of the Internet has greatly increased access to and demand for public health data. Further, increasing numbers of public health agencies are using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to provide query, analysis, and mapping functionality for their data users. This presentation will focus on the use of GIS and the Internet to develop mapping capabilities in state health organizations. Typically, vital statistics data are disseminated at the county level. This presentation will concentrate on the development of a county-level mapping prototype, but the process for analyzing and displaying data at the subcounty level is very similar. This process can be broken down into two distinct steps. The first step in the process of developing Internet GIS involves planning. Does the organization want to put dynamic health-related maps on the Web? How do you draft a coordinated implementation plan to map health data? How do you overcome organizational obstacles? Questions such as these will be addressed with the Florida experience. The second step in this process involves the technical aspects of developing mapping capability. Does the organization develop its own software or choose products from private vendors? What are some of the technical challenges that the organization may face? Technical questions such as these will be addressed with the Florida experience. Finally, a live demonstration of the Florida web-based mapping prototype will be presented.
Learning Objectives: At the end of this session, the participants will (1) understand the planning process for providing Healthy People Internet Maps for the Millennium, and (2) know the technical process for providing Healthy People Internet Maps for the Millennium to constituents
Keywords: Information Technology, Infrastructure
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.