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London
’s STD ‘hotspots’
targeted through new technology
A new kind of map that highlights sexually transmitted disease
‘hotspots’ in London will help healthcare workers target the areas
that need the most help in preventing and treating diseases like genital
warts, Chlamydia and HIV.
Figures published recently show that in 2003 the Camden Primary Care
Trust had the highest rate of STD infections in London (26,987), with
the capital accounting for almost one third (672,718) of all STD cases
in England.
With the number STD cases rising steadily since the mid-1990s, these
infections have become a major public health concern and healthcare
workers are keen to arrest the spread of these diseases.
The new interactive cybermap, details of which will be published in the International
Journal of Health Geographics today (Tuesday 18 January 2005), will help health planners examine
closely the data and instantly spot trends in STD cases in different
areas over time.
This will help them make decisions on improving
access to genito-urinary medicine clinics and deciding on the expansion
or closure of clinics, or the creation of new ones in the
London
area.
The map uses a table of figures published by the Government following a
parliamentary question to the Minister for Public Health, Melanie
Johnson MP, on
15 October 2004
.
(http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200304/cmhansrd/cm041015/text/41015w04.htm#column_404
Though the table presents all of the requested data, it remains very
difficult for the reader to fully appreciate the patterns and trends
buried in them, or make quick and effective comparisons between the
figures for different Primary Care Trusts or between the seven data sets
for the years 1997 to 2003.
“Looking for patterns, trends and comparisons in this kind data is
crucial for decision makers seeking to tackle public health issues,”
said Dr Maged Boulos, the lecturer in healthcare informatics in the
University
of
Bath
’s School for Health,
who developed the map in collaboration with Chris Russell and Michael
Smith from Graphical Data Capture Ltd,
London
,UK
.
“When combined with other data sources and maps, such as demographic,
deprivation or social exclusion, transport and existing genito-urinary
medicine clinic data sets, the new map could help ministers and public
health officials channel their resources and target STD prevention
programmes to the areas with the most need, or scale such programmes
according to the magnitude of the problem in different areas.
“Importantly, it will also help monitor the impact of such programmes
in a given area over time.
"Given the steadily rising STD rates in
London
over the past few
years, current STD prevention/education programmes must be urgently
stepped-up/revised, especially in those ‘hot’ areas with high
rates."
The online interactive map has been made possible by the use of new web
technology (Scalable Vector Graphics, or SVG) which allows people to
create interactive maps and diagrams more easily. It requires users to
download free Adobe SVG Viewer
software (at:http://www.adobe.com/svg/viewer/install/main.html
.The map of Sexually Transmitted Disease in London Primary Care
Trusts from 1997-2003 is available free online at:
http://healthcybermap.org/PCT/STDs/
.
Notes
You can test to see if your
machine already has SVG viewer software installed at:
http://www.adobe.com/svg/viewer/install/svgtest.html
(20/1/05)
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