APPLICATIONS OF GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
Abstract:
Known as GIS (Geographic Information Systems), these instruments of storage, analysis and visualization of spatial data represent an area with a spectacular development. I aimed at a Geographic information system in order to represent certain data and public health indicators at the level of the county of Bihor and to present the experience gained for the improvement of the use of GIS in the management of public health in Romania. I realized a GIS project for public health with indicators regarding the county of Bihor, encompassing the following types of data and indicators: demographics, economy data, morbidity data, health services in relation to the Health Insurance House of the county of Bihor. The data were analyzed and included in maps with SIGEpi and ArcMap 9.2. software. The maps produced have the following themes: population density, infant mortality, marriages and divorces, number of households per city, size of water and gas networks and sanitation in each locality, the number of economically active units per 1,000 inhabitants, coverage with primary care services (family medicine, dentistry and pharmacy) in 2004 and 2007, identification of areas without one of the three types of primary health care services (family medicine, dentistry or pharmacy) in 2007. The application of GIS allows the improvement of public health in correlation with the National Strategy for Public Health, Law no. 95/2006 and the laws regarding the National Public Health Programmes. The effective implementation of GIS regarding public health in Romania will also require new legal regulations (Order of the Ministry of Health), training of the health staff regarding the use of the GIS. After the initial steps, a new organizational structure (at national or sub national level) will be necessary in order to establish GIS norms and procedures and to corroborate the collected data at county level.
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