Increasing the Impact of Global Health Informatics by Improving the sharing of Public Health data across countries: A Call for Action

Objective: To categorize and describe the public health informatics (PHI) and global health informatics (GHI) literature between 2012 and 2014.Methods: We conducted a semi-systematic review of articles published between January 2012 and September 2014 where information and communications technologies (ICT) was a primary subject of the study or a main component of the study methodology. Additional inclusion and exclusion criteria were used to filter PHI and GHI articles from the larger biomedical informatics domain. Articles were identified using MEDLINE as well as personal bibliographies from members of the American Medical Informatics Association PHI and GHI working groups.Results: A total of 85 PHI articles and 282 GHI articles were identified. While systems in PHI continue to support surveillance activities, we identified a shift towards support for prevention, environmental health, and public health care services. Furthermore, articles from the U.S. reveal a shift towards PHI applications at state and local levels. GHI articles focused on telemedicine, mHealth and eHealth applications. The development of adequate infrastructure to support ICT remains a challenge, although we observed a small but growing set of articles that measure the impact of ICT on clinical outcomes.Discussion: There is evidence of growth with respect to both implementation of information systems within the public health enterprise as well as a widening of scope within each informatics discipline. Yet the articles also illuminate the need for more primary research studies on what works and what does not as both searches yielded small numbers of primary, empirical articles.Conclusion: While the body of knowledge around PHI and GHI continues to mature, additional studies of higher quality are needed to generate the robust evidence base needed to support continued investment in eHealth by governmental health agencies.

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Evaluating the usability and acceptability of a geographical information system (GIS) prototype to visualise socio-economic and public health data

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-12072-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Joshua Wells ◽

Robert Grant ◽

John Chang ◽

Reem Kayyali

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Data ◽

Geographical Information ◽

Smart Technology ◽

Mapping Model ◽

Public Health Data ◽

System Usability Scale ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Impact ◽

Mapping Models

Abstract Background Understanding the impact of socio-economic inequality on health outcomes is arguably more relevant than ever before given the global repercussions of Covid-19. With limited resources, innovative methods to track disease, population needs, and current health and social service provision are essential. To best make use of currently available data, there is an increasing reliance on technology. One approach of interest is the implementation and integration of mapping software. This research aimed to determine the usability and acceptability of a methodology for mapping public health data using GIS technology. Methods Prototype multi-layered interactive maps were created demonstrating relationships between socio-economic and health data (vaccination and admission rates). A semi-structured interview schedule was developed, including a validated tool known as the System Usability Scale (SUS), which assessed the usability of the mapping model with five stakeholder (SH) groups. Fifteen interviews were conducted across the 5 SH and analysed using content analysis. A Kruskal-Wallis H test was performed to determine any statistically significant difference for the SUS scores across SH. The acceptability of the model was not affected by the individual use of smart technology among SHs. Results The mean score from the SUS for the prototype mapping models was 83.17 out of 100, indicating good usability. There was no statistically significant difference in the usability of the maps among SH (p = 0.094). Three major themes emerged with respective sub-themes from the interviews including: (1) Barriers to current use of data (2) Design strengths and improvements (3) Multiple benefits and usability of the mapping model. Conclusion Irrespective of variations in demographics or use of smart technology amongst interviewees, there was no significant difference in the usability of the model across the stakeholder groups. The average SUS score for a new system is 68. A score of 83.17 was calculated, indicative of a “good” system, as falling within the top 10% of scores. This study has provided a potential digital model for mapping public health data. Furthermore, it demonstrated the need for such a digital solution, as well as its usability and future utilisation avenues among SH.

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Initiative to Release Medicare, Public Health Data

Internal Medicine News ◽

10.1016/s1097-8690(10)70450-9 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 43 (8) ◽

pp. 46

Author(s):

JANE ANDERSON

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Data ◽

Public Health Data

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Evaluating Public Health Data Systems: A Practical Approach

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e583982012-001 ◽

1995 ◽

Author(s):

Phyllis Blood

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Data ◽

Practical Approach ◽

Data Systems ◽

Public Health Data

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Imagining the postantibiotic future: the visual culture of a global health threat

Medical Humanities ◽

10.1136/medhum-2020-011884 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. medhum-2020-011884

Author(s):

Rachel Irwin

Keyword(s):

Global Health ◽

Visual Culture ◽

Bacterial Infections ◽

Health Data ◽

Data Sources ◽

Story Telling ◽

Specific Data ◽

Public Health Data ◽

Collective Imagination ◽

Global Data

This article is concerned with the visual culture of global health data using antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as an example. I explore how public health data and knowledge are repackaged into visualisations and presented in four contemporary genres: the animation, the TED Talk, the documentary and the satire programme. I focus on how different actors describe a world in which there are no or few antibiotics that are effective against bacterial infections. I examine the form, content and style of the visual cultural of AMR, examining how these genres tell a story of impending apocalypse while also trying to advert it. This is a form of story-telling based around the if/then structure: we are told that if we do not take certain actions today, then we will face a postantibiotic future with certain, often catastrophic, consequences. Within this if/then structure, there are various aims and objectives: the goal may be preventing further spread of AMR, building awareness or pushing for certain policy or funding decisions. These stories also serve to place or deflect blame, on animals, occupations, patients, industries and others and to highlight risks and consequences. These examples share similarities in the forms of story-telling and narrative, and in the use of specific data sources and other images. By using several Swedish examples, I demonstrate how global data are reinterpreted for a national audience. Overall, I argue that while the convergence of a dominant narrative indicates scientific consensus, this consensus also stifles our collective imagination in finding new solutions to the problem. Finally, I also use the example of AMR to discuss the need for a broader social science and humanities engagement with the visual culture of global health data.

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