FINAL PROJECT: Abstract and Reader's Reponse > GIS Diagnostic Potential
A, one way to address this reader is to emphasize the social and communal dimensions of health. Physicians are rightfully focused on the individual patient, however, these data sets will give us information about the community.
I have a new one for you to consider as a short case: look at walkabiity indexes for zip codes. If a physician sees that a neighborhood is very walkable, she could suggest that evening walks in the neighborhood are a good, daily health practice.
I have a new one for you to consider as a short case: look at walkabiity indexes for zip codes. If a physician sees that a neighborhood is very walkable, she could suggest that evening walks in the neighborhood are a good, daily health practice.
May 7, 2017 |
Marybeth Shea
Marybeth Shea
Geographic Information Systems, or GIS, is a technology that will have an increasing role in forming health care diagnoses. This paper looks at three illnesses that can be tracked through the use of GIS- Cardiovascular Disease (CVD), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and cancer. The incidence of a disease within an area, as well as its spread, can be tracked through the use of GIS. This technology has the ability to influence the way health care practitioners arrive at diagnostic conclusions. Furthermore, GIS is a useful tool for public health officials and governmental agencies developing policies to combat diseases in certain communities. As such, this paper investigates its integration into the public health infrastructure within the United States and explores the use of such technology in other countries. By studying the effectiveness of GIS in other countries, as well as in combating certain diseases, researchers will better understand how this technology can benefit the American patient population.
Reader Profile:
The reader is a medical school professor; however, it can also be anyone interested in the subject matter, as well as medical students.
Reader’s Response:
This is an interesting topic that could be useful for the future of our field. However, I would like to see more on why this is such an exciting technology and perhaps a comparison between the use of this technology with other diagnostic tools. I think it may also be tough to project how the implementation of this technology in another country will apply to the United States, but it is a good start in looking at the feasibility of this endeavor.