340.701.81
Epidemiologic Applications of GIS
Location
Internet
Term
3rd Term
Department
Epidemiology
Credit(s)
2
Academic Year
2023 - 2024
Instruction Method
Asynchronous Online
Auditors Allowed
No
Available to Undergraduate
No
Grading Restriction
Letter Grade or Pass/Fail
Course Instructor(s)
Contact Name
Frequency Schedule
Every Year
Resources
Prerequisite
Basic knowledge of epidemiology and biostatistics and of use of spreadsheets and tabulations.
Installing the required software (public domain) before starting the course.
Presents the methods and uses of epidemiology towards the development and application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in public health. Emphasizes the potential of GIS as an epidemiological analysis tool for describing the magnitude of priority health problems, identifying health determinants and supporting health decision-making. Specific topics include epidemiological risk assessment and GIS, thematic mapping of unmet health needs, malaria risk assessment and GIS application for identifying public health problems. Includes hands-on experience and laboratory exercises using public domain and ESRI software.
Learning Objectives
Upon successfully completing this course, students will be able to:
- Apply the concepts of GIS in public health surveillance and health situation analyses, including assessment of health needs and priorities
- Use the QGIS software as a GIS tool for producing and editing health thematic maps, tables and graphs
- Carry out queries for epidemiological analyses from maps and tables, using the basic aspects of the structured query language (SQL)
- Carry out basic spatial analyses of epidemiological information from different cartographic layers through different GIS tools and procedures
- Create and edit quality thematic maps for final presentation
Methods of Assessment
This course is evaluated as follows:
- 99% Exam(s)
A required GIS textbook is available in the online library. Students must bring a laptop to class. Should not be taken by students who completed 223.842 in winter 2001 or 340.881.11 in the Epidemiology and Biostatistics Summer Institute.