BEST PRACTICES - MAPPING HEALTH DATA

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) enable researchers to explore the complex relationships between determinants of human health and well-being using a spatial perspective.

While GIS provides easy-to-use tools for exploring and analyzing health data, there are a number of key issues that users should be aware of before mapping or spatially analyzing health data.

These web pages have been designed by Population Data BC to provide an overview of analytical issues related to point, line and area-based data, as well as recommendations for best practices when mapping health data.

• Working with point data
  • Geocoding
  • Confidentiality
• Working with line data
  • Data projection
  • Calculating distance
  • Network distance
  • Travel time analysis
  • Software considerations
• Working with area data
  • Ecological fallacy
  • Modifiable areal unit problem
  • Rate instability
• Study area boundary and edge effects
• Cartographic fundamentals
  • Mapping small and large areas
  • Data categorisation
  • Colour schemes
  • References

Note: some components of this website require the use of Adobe Shockwave/Flash? Media to run. >> download ...