Health Status and Equity

To improve health status and equity, we will provide greater attention to a prevention-oriented approach. Policies and organizational practices that improve the environments in which people live, work, learn, and play are powerful tools in reducing disparities. Every community is different, and understanding the factors that most influence health inequities is vital in designing strategic responses. We are committed to working with community groups on conducting exploratory research on health disparities, using quantitative, qualitative and GIS methods to generate testable hypotheses, collaborating in the development, implementation, and dissemination of hypothesis driven research, and translating available research into effective tools, practice, and policies.

The use of GIS  and interactive mapping is highly suitable for analyzing epidemiological data, revealing trends and interrelationships that would be more difficult to discover in tabular format, and allowing policy makers to easily visualize the outcomes of effective interventions and so more effectively target resources.  A growing number of public health and health services organizations have begun to use GIS to identify community health problems and monitor health status; assess gaps and barriers to services and care; more efficiently and effectively target high-need, underserved populations; locate new services; enhance health planning; persuade decision-makers; and display accomplishments.