160 likes | 295 Views
MAKING THE INVISIBLE VISIBLE: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS FOR HIV/AIDS PREVENTION & TREATMENT SERVICES. Carla E. Stokes, MPH Larry M. Gant, CSW, PhD CARAT/Rackham Information Technology Fellowship Meeting February 11, 2002. THE HIV/AIDS EPIDEMIC IN DETROIT, MICHIGAN.
E N D
MAKING THE INVISIBLE VISIBLE: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS FOR HIV/AIDS PREVENTION & TREATMENT SERVICES Carla E. Stokes, MPH Larry M. Gant, CSW, PhD CARAT/Rackham Information Technology Fellowship Meeting February 11, 2002
THE HIV/AIDS EPIDEMIC IN DETROIT, MICHIGAN • There are 13,000 HIV-infected persons in MI (including Persons living with AIDS) • Each year, the majority of Michigan’s new HIV/AIDS cases occur in Wayne County • There is a profound racial disparity in the distribution of HIV/AIDS cases
WHAT IS GIS?(GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS) • A GIS is a computer system for analyzing and mapping almost anything • A GIS allows geographically distributed data to be integrated with computer assisted mapping, design, and geographic analysis
WHY USE GIS? • Maps are efficient at communicating geographic information • Mapping gives users the ability to analyze data in a clear, convenient, and easy to comprehend form • Maps illustrate geographic relationships
WHY USE GIS IN PUBLIC HEALTH? • GIS has an important role in public health • Variation in health and health care needs are influenced by a variety of factors • Ability to convey information visually • Ability to geographically link health data with population characteristics, environmental conditions, and health care
USES OF GIS FOR CURRENT STUDY • Examination of health statistics (i.e.- disease rates) by geographic area • Examination of use of health services to assist with resource allocation and needs assessment • Analysis of the spatial distribution of health care facilities to assist in location of health services • Disease surveillance • Planning HIV/AIDS related prevention and treatment services
METHODOLOGY • Completed software training in Arc View GIS • Located boundary file maps (street and zipcode) of Detroit • Secured access to confidential HIV/AIDS surveillance databases • Converted HIV/AIDS surveillance data • from SAS to TXT to Excel to Dbase IV • Used SPSS to generate HIV/AIDS counts by zip codes • Created map layers in ArcView
HIV/AIDS CASES BY ZIP CODEUSING ARC VIEW 3.2 DETROIT, MICHIGAN • Confidential data to be released Summer 2002
FUTURE DIRECTIONS • Merge with Census 2000 data • Incorporate substance abuse data • Merge STD data bases • Spatial statistical analysis of data • Map trends over time