GIS in Health Research

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Jessica Scott Combined Universities Centre for
Rural Health
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GIS in Health Research

• A snapshot of current applications.

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Factors underlying health issues
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1. Spatial epidemiology
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Dr. John Snows Map of Cholera Deaths in the
SOHO District of London, 1854
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2. Investigating environmental health hazards /
risk factors
Controlling dust emissions - Port Hedland Photo
DEH
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3. Modelling health service delivery
ARIA Accessibility and Remoteness Index for
Australia
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Identifying areas of medical workforce
shortageJessica Scott, CUCRH 2004
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4. Identifying health inequalities
Where do infants and children die in WA? (1980
2001)
Jane Freemantle, PhDInstitute of Child Health
Research November 2004
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Mortality rate of infants (1980-2001)by
geographic location and Aboriginal status
Where do infants and children die in WA?
1980-2002 Jane Freemantle, PhD. November
2004
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5. Data access

• Steve Spiker, Jim Codde, and Mark Peel.
• Epidemiology Branch, WA Dept. Health

• National Health Development Fund project, 2003
• Integration and centralisation of spatial data
  within the WA Dept. Health
• Use of Web mapping technology to allow
  widespread access to data

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Building a healthy GIS Steve Spiker,
Epidemiology Branch, HIC WA Dept Health, 2004.
Web Mapping
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Health measures

• Hospital Morbidity Data System (HMDS) Data
  Linkage Unit
• WA Mortality Dataset Data Linkage Unit
• Western Australian Notifiable Infectious Disease
  Database (WANIDD) HIC WA DoH
• National Health Survey (Indigenous) ABS 2001
• Maternal and Child Health Research Data Base
  (MCHRDB) HIC WA DoH

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Major applications for GIS in Health

• Spatial epidemiology
• Environmental hazards
• Modeling Health Services
• Identifying health inequalities
• Data access

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Acknowledgements
Identifying areas of medical workforce
shortageJessica Scott, Ann Larson (CUCRH) and
Bert Veeneendaal (Curtin School of Spatial
Sciences) Building a healthy GIS Steve Spiker
and Jim Codde. Epidemiology Branch, WA Dept.
Health Ross River Virus Outbreak Mark Peel,
Epidemiology Branch, WA Dept. Health Where do
infants and children die in WA? 1980-2002
Jane Freemantle, PhD. Institute of Child Health
Research.
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Population datasets

• ABS Census 2001
• Numbers of usual residents
• Number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
  persons
• Age specific breakdown
• Gender specific breakdown
• Associated Socioeconomic data

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Other geographic data

• G-NAF (Geocoded National Address File)
• WA DOLA
• - Cadastre and postal street addresses
• - Roads
• - Land use information
• ABS Urban Centres, Local Govt Areas, postcodes
• Dept Indigenous Affairs Aboriginal community
  locations
• ARIA Accessibility / Remoteness Index of Aust.

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ARIA Grid Values
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ARIA (Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia)

• A generic index of accessibility/ remoteness for
  all populated places in non-metropolitan
  Australia
• A model which allows accessibility to any type of
  service to be calculated from all populated
  places in Australia