title: Geomedical warning system against epidemics.
abstract: We describe aims, usage and evaluation of the computer-based early warning system telecommunication on medical events (TeCoMed), which achieves tracking down of temporal and spatial spread of epidemics for seasonal communicable diseases. It uses experiences from former waves of communicable diseases down to fine-grained local areas. Data is delivered by the biggest German insurance scheme. The results are presented by means of a commercial, geomedical information system. The evaluation of the system's performance concerning influenza shows that timely risk assessment and warnings are possible.
authors.affiliation: Department for Medical Informatics and Biometry, University of Rostock, Institut für Medizinische Informatik und Biometrie, Rembrandtstr. 16/17, D-18055 Rostock, Germany.
authors.forename: Lothar
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gierl
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schmidt
mesh_terms: D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000379:methods*; D021821:Communicable Diseases, Emerging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003201:Computers; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007343:Insurance Carriers; D020407:Internet; D007753:Laboratories; D010820:Physicians; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D013685:Telecommunications