The ability to examine injury disparities on a local level is hampered by incomplete and incompatible data. Data sets do not include measures of victims’ income or socio-economic status. Some data sets (i.e. trauma registries) include race/ethnicity but do not distinguish between racial/ethnic sub populations and are likely to categorize African immigrants as African Americans. While some injury data is available by zip code, it is not adequately specific. Many zip codes in Minneapolis include upper-income neighborhoods and the poorest ones in the city.
In order to overcome these barriers and help understand injury disparities in Hennepin County, Minnesota, the Community Health Department has mapped Emergency Medical Services (EMS) data, census tract information, and public housing records using Geographic Information System (GIS).
EMS data, derived from ambulance run reports, provide details about the cause of injury, victim demographics, involvement of alcohol or drugs, language barriers, and other information useful for surveillance. Furthermore, EMS reports include the address of the injury event, making it more geographically-specific than other available data sources. Mapping these and other data via GIS allows us to measure the burden of injuries in specific areas, such as subsidized, public housing units and compare it to the general population.
As a result of EMS data and GIS mapping capabilities, the Community Health Department can better understand injury disparities among sub populations in the county, target injury prevention initiatives, and evaluate their effectiveness.
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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.