Abstract
Spatial information describes the physical location of either people or objects, and the measured relationships between them. In this article, we offer the view that greater utilization of spatial information and its related technology, as part of a broader redesign of the architecture of health information at local and national levels, could assist and speed up the process of health reform, which is taking place across the globe in richer and poorer countries alike. In making this point, we describe the impetus for health sector reform, recent developments in spatial information and analytics, and current Australasian spatial health research. We highlight examples of uptake of spatial information by the health sector, as well as missed opportunities. Our recommendations to spatially enable the health sector are applicable to high- and low-resource settings.
Highlights
Specialty section: This article was submitted to Public Health Policy, a section of the journal Frontiers in Public Health
We argue in this article that well-established geographic information systems (GIS), as well as more recent advances in spatial technologies, analytics, and visualization, have the potential to enrich our understanding of health systems and drive strategies for health sector reform
There are a number of pressures on health systems that are present in many countries, regardless of their level of development
Summary
Spatial information describes the physical location of either people or objects, and the measured relationships between them. We argue in this article that well-established geographic information systems (GIS), as well as more recent advances in spatial technologies, analytics, and visualization, have the potential to enrich our understanding of health systems and drive strategies for health sector reform. There are a number of pressures on health systems that are present in many countries, regardless of their level of development. These include an aging population, with an increasing burden of chronic disease; introduction of new technologies (services, drugs, and medical devices); and increased consumer expectations (which tend to rise with increasing wealth). In the five decades to 2008, spending on health care grew by 2% points in excess of GDP growth across all Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
