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ABSTRACT
Economic imperatives in Health have led to the rise of geomatics and therefore use of the digital map. Since 2009, medical governance has mutualized health data by relying on research, training and communications performed with geographic information in Health. "Map and geolocation” are concept engines for new geomatic creations in the digitized world of Health. Through a general presentation of "Health Geomatics", and applied to "services to the person" and to "hospitalizations or emergencies", this article will address the evolution of tools and practices and include current economic challenges. The near future for users and healthcare professionals and the challenges of tomorrow will be discussed.
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Read the articleAUTHORS
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Anne QUESNEL-BARBET: Researcher in Health geography and geomatics - Maison régionale de la Recherche clinique, public health, CHRU de Lille, Nord, France
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François DUFOSSEZ: Physician, Medical Information Department - Medical Information Department (DIM), Béthune Hospital, Pas-de-Calais, France
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Marc SOURIS: Research Director, UMR_D 190 Emergence des Pathologies Virales, IRD, Aix-Marseille University, EHESP, INSERM, IFS, Marseille, France
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David DELERUE: General Manager, Alicante - Computer scientist - Alicante, Seclin, Nord, France
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Arnaud HANSSKE: Director of Medical Information (DIM) and Director of Information and Organization Systems - Groupement des hôpitaux de l'Institut catholique de Lille, Nord, France
INTRODUCTION
There's a budding geographer in every man who explores and manipulates maps. This is especially true today, as maps are everywhere in our digital society. We create, process and analyze maps for specific purposes: mapping out a road itinerary, tracking our route using the GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite positioning system while driving, finding a hiking trail that suits our expectations and uses. As a result, maps are part of our daily lives.
The aims of the health map are to map and analyze mobility and healthcare consumption patterns, model hospital catchment areas, and monitor infectious and non-infectious diseases. Thanks to geolocation, the map can also be used to track patients and alarms in real time, and to manage ambulances and medical human resources. Since the 1980s, the term "geomatics" has been used, derived from the contraction of the words "geography" and "computer science". It is a grouping of computerized methods and tools designed to collect, measure, organize, analyze and represent - in the sense of modeling - geographic information. Geographic information systems are the main tools and software used in geomatics. Their aim is to provide a global computing environment for integrating geographic information into databases.
The emergence of geomatics in healthcare is part of the real-time processing of large volumes of spatial data. For the past fifteen years, applications have mainly been linked to hospital management, epidemiology and telehealth, which are all part of the public health sector.
Healthcare provision needs to be evenly distributed to avoid inequalities in geographical access across the country. Geomatics is becoming one of the answers, and is taking off with telehealth, new tools, decision-making implications and operational research.
However, despite the European INSPIRE (INfrastructure for SPatial InfoRmation in the European Community) and open data directives, there are limits to the sharing and dissemination of healthcare data, due to the directly or indirectly nominative nature of the information and the political and financial stakes involved. The Health geomatics specialization is still under-represented, as it lies at the crossroads of several disciplines.
Transparency in the supply and consumption of healthcare services is becoming a strategic issue. Opening up all available healthcare resources (human, technical and material) to the public requires dedicated, simplified and standardized tools.
Geomatics in healthcare is an important decision-making tool. It responds to public health issues addressed in applied fields such as hospital management, geo-epidemiology and telehealth. Applied geomatics in healthcare contributes...
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KEYWORDS
digital map | geographic information | services to the person | hospitalization | medical emergencies
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Bibliography
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