title: Assessment of training needs and preferences for geographic information systems (GIS) mapping in state comprehensive cancer-control programs.
abstract: Geographic information systems (GIS) mapping technologies have potential to advance public health promotion by mapping regional differences in attributes (e.g., disease burden, environmental exposures, access to health care services) to suggest priorities for public health interventions. Training in GIS for comprehensive cancer control (CCC) has been overlooked. State CCC programs' GIS training needs were assessed by interviewing 49 state CCC directors. A majority perceived a need for GIS training, slightly more than half of state CCC programs had access to geocoded data, and the majority of programs did not require continuing education credits of their staff. CCC directors perceived judging maps and realizing their limitations as important skills and identified epidemiologists, CCC staff, public health officials, policy makers, and cancer coalition members as training audiences. They preferred in-class training sessions that last a few hours to a day. Lessons learned are shared to develop training programs with translatable GIS skills for CCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Communication Arts and Sciences, GeoVISTA Center, and Center for Health & Risk Communication at Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: Suellen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hopfer
authors.forename: Amy E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Chadwick
authors.forename: Roxanne L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Parrott
authors.forename: Christie B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Ghetian
authors.forename: Eugene J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Lengerich
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D015980:Public Health Practice; D018571:Sentinel Surveillance; D017062:Small-Area Analysis