Table 1 EB-GIS4HEALTH UK example English, jargon-free summary for the lay (educated) audience

EB-GIS4HEALTH UK example English, jargon-free summary for the lay audience

Factors affecting health vary with location and over time. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can help us better understand the geography and interactions of health-related events, exposures, and public health/healthcare resources, and also use this understanding to develop optimised prevention and intervention strategies and programmes. A wide range of GIS applications in health and healthcare have been described in the literature that could benefit public health decision makers, practitioners and the public. These GIS applications range from assisting in the early detection of a bioterrorist attack, to understanding and acting on the complex relationships between the environment, socio-economic factors and health, to healthcare needs assessment and the optimum siting of an appropriate new healthcare facility in a given community, and even route optimisation for ambulance vehicles and healthcare professionals doing home visits. However, despite all their potentials, GIS remain very much under-utilised in the NHS in mostly non-strategic tasks, and in a largely fragmented and uncoordinated way. Geographic data and GIS are still not mentioned in any main UK health information strategy or policy document, in striking contrast to the corresponding US strategy documents and specifications, which explicitly mention GIS. EB-GIS4HEALTH UK aims at helping the NHS understand and harness the importance of spatial information in the health sector in order to better respond to national health plans, priorities, and requirements. Virtual e-focus groups that include representatives of the public will inform the development of all EB-GIS4HEALTH UK products. These include a sound evidence base of GIS methods and applications that are relevant to UK practices and settings, and an associated set of evidence-based conceptual models or blueprints for developing successful GIS business plans and implementing GIS to address various health issues within the NHS. The project will focus on diabetes and dental care, which together account for about 11% of the annual NHS budget, and are thus important topics where GIS can help optimising resource utilisation and outcomes. However, products and experience gained in this project will be transferable to address other national health topics based on the same principles. EB-GIS4HEALTH UK ultimate beneficiaries are the UK citizenry and communities who will be empowered to become more active partners in their healthcare, and will also benefit on the long run from improved health services and outcomes, and reduced health inequalities as a result of the introduction of well-founded geographic information management within the NHS through this and other synergistic/follow-on projects.