HealthGIS 2012 workshop report: the First ACM SIGSPATIAL International Workshop on the Use of GIS in Public Health
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abstract
Public health and public healthcare are important social issues with deep implications for government administrations and with large effect on individual standards of living. In many countries, healthcare institutions are being pushed to their limit by an aging population and increased urbanization (which may lead to additional health issues such as pollution). Many of these challenges have strong geospatial components. For example, GIS techniques may be used to determine spatial correlates of health. In addition, the ability to detect and record the location history of individuals and groups using cellular phones coupled with the ability to analyze and visually present large amounts of geospatial data can be harnessed to advance health-related applications. Other notable examples include using geographic information systems and appropriate applications to assist the evacuation of injured people, monitoring the spread of infectious diseases, collecting data for statistical analysis of the effect of pollution on public health, and providing assistance to elderly people with orientation difficulties. These applications necessitate new techniques, systems, and algorithms for effectively utilizing geospatial data in the context of public health.
