Community health status indicators: adding a geospatial component.

An Internet mapping application is being introduced in conjunction with the release of the second version of the Community Health Status Indicators (CHSI) Report. The CHSI Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Analyst is an easy-to-use Web-based mapping application that provides new opportunities for the visualization, exploration, and understanding of the indicators. Indicators can be mapped and compared visually to other areas, including peer counties and neighboring counties. The Web site is accessible from a link on the CHSI Report Web site or directly from an Internet Web browser. In this paper, we discuss the conceptualization and implementation of this public health mapping application.

Measuring Population Health Using Electronic Health Records: Exploring Biases and Representativeness in a Community Health Information Exchange.

Assessment is a core function of public health. Comprehensive clinical data may enhance community health assessment by providing up-to-date, representative data for use in public health programs and policies, especially when combined with community-level data relevant to social determinants. In this study we examine routinely collected and geospatially-enhanced EHR data to assess population health at various levels of geographic granularity available from a regional health information exchange. We present preliminary findings and discuss important biases in EHR data. Future work is needed to develop methods for correcting for those biases to support routine epidemiology work of public health.