A study on spatial decision support systems for epidemic disease prevention based on ArcGIS

Abstract

Having analyzed the current status existing problems of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) applications in epidemiology this chapter proposes a method to establish a spatial decision support system (SDSS) for the prevention of epidemic diseases by integrating the COM GIS spatial database gps remote sensing communication technologies as well as ASP ActiveX software development technologies. One important issue in constructing the SDSS for epidemic disease prevention concerns the incorporation of epidemic spread models in a GIS. The chapter begins with a description of the capabilities of GIS in epidemic prevention. Some established models of an epidemic spread are studied to extract essential computational parameters. A technical schema is then proposed to integrate epidemic models using a GIS relevant geospatial technologies. The GIS modeling platforms share a common spatial database the modeled results can be visualized spatially by desktop Web clients. A complete solution for establishing the SDSS for epidemic disease prevention based on the model integrating methods the ArcGIS software is suggested in this chapter. The proposed SDSS comprises several sub-systems: data acquisition network communication model integration epidemic disease information spatial database epidemic disease information query statistical analysis epidemic disease dynamic surveillance epidemic disease information spatial analysis decision support as well as epidemic disease information publishing based on the Web GIS technology. The design process sample VC VB programming codes of the epidemic case precaution are used as an example to illustrate the basic principles methods of the system development that integrates GIS functions with models of epidemic spread. A case study of AIDS in the Yunnan Province of China exemplifies the systems spatial analytical functions through its spatial database access statistical analysis tools.