title: [Establishment of minimum medical geographic information systems database in China].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To establish a minimum medical geographic information systems (GIS) database as a spatial decision supporting system (SDSS), and to use the database into public health practice in China.
  
  
  METHODS
  Spatial data collected from different sources were standardized as decimal degree format, including: (1) satellite images covering areas of China; (2) digital maps of China in vector files; (3) diseases database and relevant models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Necessary satellite images for the database have been collected from NOAA AVHRR, Landsat TM, etc., including the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) images from AVHRR, earth surface temperature images from AVHRR, GTOPO30 DEM images from USGS and landuse images from USGS. The digital vector files for GIS analysis were collected including political (county, provinces, country) boundaries file, environmental (drainage, land cover, soil type) vector file, population data and climate data; Data on diseases mainly generated from survey or case reporting. Relevant models on transmission of Schistosoma japonicum and Plasmodium vivax, and models of Oncomelania hupensis and Anophores sinansis were developed, and the relevant environmental factors related to incidence of cancers were mapped, to test and verify those database.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The database unified the data from different sources for users. Minimum medical data included in the database could be used in the practice of public health. It is expected that this database be used in a wider range.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitic Diseases Control and Prevention, Chinese Center Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-nong
authors.initials: XN
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Xiao-shu
authors.initials: XS
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Guo-jing
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Ning-sheng
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Tian-ping
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Malone
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McCarroll
authors.forename: Dan-dan
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Qing-biao
authors.initials: QB
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Le-ping
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Zhi-ying
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: De-zhong
authors.initials: DZ
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles / Q000469:parasitology; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D004199:Disease Vectors; D004463:Ecology; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D010966:Plasmodium vivax; D017215:Satellite Communications; D012554:Schistosomiasis japonica / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D012908:Snails / Q000469:parasitology