title: Visual localisation of community health needs to rational decision-making in public health services.
abstract: The objectives were to visualise the locations of community health needs and to develop a community health needs assessment geographic information system (GIS) for rational decision-making in public health services. We compiled census data, digital data of basic planning maps, digital data of topographic maps, contents of registers of medical and welfare facilities, and statistics of establishments into a geographical database; visualised geographical distributions of specific community health needs by integrating sets of indicators to reflect individual needs; and quantified their clustering by the nearest neighbour method. The database aggregated 3400 items of demographic, life and environmental factors. Thematic maps and clustering values showed different patterns of geographical distribution of the individual community needs. Means to match needs with services in smaller geographical units were discussed. This GIS will support appropriate resource allocation, intersectoral collaboration and greater transparency in planning and implementing services, by visualising locations of community health needs.
authors.affiliation: Health Promotion/International Health, Division of Public Health, Graduate School of Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Yushima 1-5-45, Bunkyo-ku, 113-8519, Tokyo, Japan
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kaneko
authors.forename: Takehito
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takano
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakamura
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016208:Databases, Factual; D003657:Decision Making; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D005853:Geriatrics; D006293:Health Promotion; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008427:Maternal Health Services; D011634:Public Health; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D014041:Tokyo