Spatial Information has long been used in the Health sector to pinpoint areas of risk for specific diseases. This information helps identify contributing factors to the disease and populations at risk.
The challenge today is to ensure that the significant progress in spatial information and technologies is used to its full potential.
All stages of new policy development and decision-making require timely access to information. Spatial information allows diverse risk factors, such as smoking, physical activity and the wider environment, to be considered in a common framework.
A priority is the need to communicate risk effectively amongst health professionals external to government health agencies. Effectively visualising health risk and its relationship to other factors - while maintaining patient privacy - is a key focus of the Program.
Collaborative Approach
All Health program activities involve collaboration amongst researchers, practitioners and end-users. This enables robust and usable outcomes that have had continuous review and design input from relevant stakeholders.