The goal of this project is to create a tool that disseminates analysed and useable spatio-temporal health information to health professionals, regardless of their spatial information background.
The tool, now known as HealthTracks, can be used to identify populations at disease risk and gaps in health service delivery. Furthermore, the resulting visualised information helps communicate these gaps and risks to local program leaders and decision makers so they can make decisions quickly and accurately.
The challenge is to create a dynamic tool which ensures patient privacy, while providing as much detailed health data as possible to the end-user about localised health needs.
Highlights
CRCSI has been funded to produce an open source version of its award-winning HealthTracks software which spatially empowers public health decision making and policy setting.
The proposed open-source version of HealthTracks and datasets will help urban researchers and policy developers in answering a multitude of urban health and well-being research questions.
The tool could for instance be used to examine the density of alcohol outlets and the health risk behaviours of local residents. Evidence from overseas suggests that alcohol is more common in low socioeconomic areas that also have higher prevalence of harmful alcohol consumption and associated adverse health outcomes.
Researchers could explore these datasets for a nominated geography and demographic to guide new licensing approvals.
