title: Public health education and practice using geographic information system technology.
abstract: The use of geographic information system (GIS) technology allows public health practitioners to explore disparities in health, analyze disease outbreaks, and prioritize the use of limited resources for improving population health. Nursing students benefit from use of World Wide Web GIS resources as they develop knowledge and skill in assessing population health and planning interventions. This article identifies the benefits of GIS for public health practitioners, presents a communicable disease control application of GIS, and discusses a GIS module used in an undergraduate nursing education course. Uniform standards for making health data available for public use with GIS are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Indiana University School of Nursing, Indiana University--Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, USA. mriner@iupui.edu
authors.forename: Mary E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Riner
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cunningham
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control; D004405:Dysentery, Bacillary / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate / Q000379:methods; D040362:Geographic Information Systems / Q000295:instrumentation; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007196:Indiana / Q000453:epidemiology; D009862:Online Systems; D011637:Public Health Nursing / Q000193:education / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*