Choosing a site, targeting a market, planning a delivery route, allocating resources, planning clinical services are questions of geography.  More than maps, GIS (geographic information systems) is a system for mapping and analyzing geographical distributionn of data.

Rather than seeing data in tabular form - in rows and columns - data is presented in a format that allows for spatial analysis and comprehension.  GIS provides the means to link location to information (bringing where to what). The concept of layers is central to GIS. Layers belong to two major data types: (1.) raster data (where the layer is divided into cells of uniform size, forming a matrix of digital information, as in satellite images and aerial photographs), and (2.) vector data (where the layer is composed of points, lines, or polygons, as in maps of census tract or ZIP code boundaries).

For healthcare service providers, GIS provides demographics and population information combined with data on medical expenditures, therapeutics and diagnosis related groups (DRG) to allow providers to know the customer in ways that allow for solving business problems. Much more than Census Bureau data or data from CDC, GIS demographics healthcare combines available patient, industry, demographic and geographic data in combination with GIS' inherent analytical and mapping functionality to offer facts that aid in determination of pressing clinical, business and financial decisions. GIS presents no conflict with HIPAA, even when data is shared from a hospital in the comparisons made.

Consider determination of market demand for a new dialysis clinic or a hospital needing to compete with other hospitals and clinics in their community.  GIS offers:

* Patient profiles: Who your patients are and how they rank in terms of medical diagnostics, therapeutic drug use, expected payer source (private, Medicare, Medicaid, self-pay, Workers' Compensation, charity, etc.)

* Site selection: Where to locate a facility or plan expansion based on patient needs, drive time, profiles, consumer dollar potential and historical expenditures, and crime statistics and compared with local and US averages.

* Market potential: Detailed demographic and income data specific to driving distances amongst competitive providers.  Comparison of potential site (locations) to judge the merits vs. competitors at the local level and/or national level.

* Capacity analysis and projection of future service needs: Including chronic and infectious disease-states, and other providers in zip codes.

* Projected utilization/cases and comparisons: ICD-9-based diagnoses compared with competitors and specific zip-coded communities nationwide - bypertension, urinary, injury and positoning, intestinal obstruction, etc.

How can you use GIS?  GIS is used for public health, epidemiology and emergency management and potential planning too, and to help map the locations of patients in the event of an infectious disease outbreak.

What do you think of GIS?  Would you like to learn more?