The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

4246.0: Tuesday, November 12, 2002 - 4:30 PM

Abstract #46910

Enhancing decision support with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) using HIT MapMaker

Neil Thomas, PhD and Sandra L Putnam, PhD. Community Health Research Group, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Suite 309, Conference Center Bldg, Knoxville, TN 37996, 865-974-4511, ThomasN@etsu.edu

HIT MapMaker was developed in response to community requests for mapping capability on the Health Information Tennessee (HIT) website (server.to/hit), as part of the Health Department’s Community Diagnosis Initiative. HIT is a public health informatics website for custom querying data sets using SPOT (Statistical Profiling of Tennessee). The CHRG developed HIT MapMaker from scratch as a state-of-the-art, web-based GIS mapping system. HIT MapMaker provides a unique way for people to access county and census tract level data through interactive mapping. Users can choose the data to be mapped, the style of mapping, and the method of map classification. Both county level and census tract level mapping are available to help identify high-risk areas across the state of Tennessee. Overlays of cities and towns, rivers, lakes, highways, hospitals, nursing homes, schools, alcohol and drug treatment facilities, and health department regions are available as background layers to be displayed and identified on the one- and two-variable thematic maps. Interactive mapping of this type allows users to examine data spatially in relation to other variables and background layers for enhanced decision support.

Learning Objectives:

Keywords: Internet Tools, Community Health Assessment

Related Web page: hitspot.utk.edu

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

An Innovative Website (Health Information Tennessee – server.to/hit) For Community Health Needs Assessment, Planning, And Decision Support

The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA