title: Charting a Path to Location Intelligence for STD Control.
abstract: This article describes the New York State Department of Health's GeoDatabase project, which developed new methods and techniques for designing and building a geocoding and mapping data repository for sexually transmitted disease (STD) control. The GeoDatabase development was supported through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Outcome Assessment through Systems of Integrated Surveillance workgroup. The design and operation of the GeoDatabase relied upon commercial-off-the-shelf tools that other public health programs may also use for disease-control systems. This article provides a blueprint of the structure and software used to build the GeoDatabase and integrate location data from multiple data sources into the everyday activities of STD control programs.
authors.affiliation: Division of Family Health, Office of the Medical Director, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY.
authors.forename: Todd M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Gerber
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medicine and Public Health Sciences, Penn State Hershey College of Medicine, Hershey, PA.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC.
authors.forename: Janelle
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Armstrong-Brown
authors.affiliation: University at Albany, State University of New York, Rensselaer, NY.
authors.forename: Louise-Anne
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: McNutt
authors.affiliation: Bureau of STD Control, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY.
authors.forename: F Bruce
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Coles