Using GIS to identify heart disease, stroke and other chronic diseases burden, inform policy and foster partnership: Mississippi state department of health

Background In order to efficiently assist the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) in managing heart disease, stroke and other chronic diseases, health agency professionals undertook a training project in collaboration with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) and the University of Michigan to integrate the use of GIS into ongoing efforts to address the burden of heart disease and stroke and related chronic diseases in Mississippi. Methods During the nine-month training, we learned key GIS techniques and methods used for public health surveillance. State secondary and web-based data sources were used to produce maps using ArcGIS 10.0 that addressed existing priorities within the MSDH. Results The newly gained knowledge and expertise in GIS were used to provide a visual platform to address the following focus areas: documenting geographic disparities, informing policy and program decision, enhancing partnerships with external agencies and facilitating collaboration within the agencies. Developed maps were shared with heart disease and stroke prevention task force committee and the Office of Health Disparity Elimination. Future goals include mapping stroke centers, drive time to stroke centers, density maps, built environment and environmental and policy maps. Conclusions Use of public data and mapping tools can help the MSDH identify high risk populations and regions for targeted chronic disease-related education and intervention.