Abstract
Web Geographic Information System (Web GIS) has been extensively and successfully exploited in various arenas. However, to date, the application of this technology in public health surveillance has yet to be systematically explored in the Web 2.0 era. We reviewed existing Web GIS-based Public Health Surveillance Systems (WGPHSSs) and assessed them based on 20 indicators adapted from previous studies. The indicators comprehensively cover various aspects of WGPHSS development, including metadata, data, cartography, data analysis, and technical aspects. Our literature search identified 58 relevant journal articles and 27 eligible WGPHSSs. Analyses of results revealed that WGPHSSs were frequently used for infectious-disease surveillance, and that geographical and performance inequalities existed in their development. The latest Web and Web GIS technologies have been used in developing WGPHSSs; however, significant deficiencies in data analysis, system compatibility, maintenance, and accessibility exist. A balance between public health surveillance and privacy concerns has yet to be struck. Use of news and social media as well as Web-user searching records as data sources, participatory public health surveillance, collaborations among health sectors at different spatial levels and among various disciplines, adaption or reuse of existing WGPHSSs, and adoption of geomashup and open-source development models were identified as the directions for advancing WGPHSSs.
Highlights
The last decade, especially the past five years, has witnessed the rapid growth of using WebGeographic Information System (Web GIS) in public health surveillance (PHS)
From the 58 articles and Google search, we identified 45 systems: twenty-seven Web GIS-based Public Health Surveillance Systems (WGPHSSs) (Table 2) satisfied the criteria, while the remaining 18 (Table A1) did not
In addition to the six WGPHSSs analyzed in this paper, previous studies demonstrated the widespread use of this informal online information
Summary
The last decade, especially the past five years, has witnessed the rapid growth of using Web. Geographic Information System (Web GIS) in public health surveillance (PHS). As of late 2006, very few websites were devoted solely to health mapping [1]; today, many countries and regions have realized the potential benefits of Web GIS for PHS and have developed their own Web GIS-based. While the applications of desktop GIS in public health have been extensively examined [2,3,4,5,6], an up-to-date systematic review of existing WGPHSSs is lacking. Comprehensively outlined the possibilities and challenges of using Web GIS in public health; Web GIS has dramatically evolved in the past ten years, especially with the incorporation of Web 2.0 into its development. Recent studies [1,8] have reviewed websites of contemporary Web
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
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.
