1st Edition

Perspectives in Medical Geography Theory and Applications for Librarians

Edited By Amy J. Blatt Copyright 2012
    272 Pages
    by Routledge

    272 Pages
    by Routledge

    Medical geography is a fascinating area of rapidly evolving study that aims to analyse and improve worldwide health issues based on the geographical factors which have an impact on them. Perspectives in Medical Geography will appeal to both novice and seasoned researchers looking to be informed on the latest theories and applications in the field. Chapters represent a wide range of industries, ranging from private/public universities to private companies to non-profit foundations. Contributors describe ways in which map and geography librarians can engage in public health research – creating data standards, archiving map collections and providing mapping/GIS services. In addition to compiling current theories and practices related to medical geography, this volume also features commentaries from two pre-eminent geography librarians, sharing their perspectives on this emerging field and how map and geographic information librarians can engage in health-related research through their profession.

    This book was originally published as two special issues of the Journal of Map & Geography Libraries.

    Foreword Paige Andrew and Katherine H. Weimer

    1. Maps, Geography Libraries, and Health Outcomes: Gazing into the Future of Medical Geography Amy J. Blatt

    2. The Role of the Map and Geographic Information Library in Medical Geographic Research Ellen K. Cromley

    3. Enabling Geographic Research Across Disciplines: Building an Institutional Infrastructure for Geographic Analysis at Harvard University Weihe Wendy Guan, Bonnie Burns, Julia L. Finkelstein and Jeffrey C. Blossom

    4. Transforming Community Health and Primary Care Education Using Clinical and Administrative Data and Geographic Information Systems Arthur Seiji Hayashi, Andrew Bazemore and Jessica McIntyre

    5. Harnessing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to Enable Community-Oriented Primary Care Andrew Bazemore, Robert L. Phillips and Thomas Miyoshi

    6. Embracing the Open-Source Movement for Managing Spatial Data: A Case Study of African Trypanosomiasis in Kenya Shaun A. Langley and Joseph P. Messina

    7. Analyzing Geographical Access to HIV Sentinel Clinics in Relation to Other Health Clinics in Zambia Imelda K. Moise, Ezekiel Kalipeni and Leo C. Zulu

    8. Maternity Ward Closures in Philadelphia: Using GIS to Measure Disruptions in Essential Health Services Sarah Cordivano

    9. Role of Race and Ethnicity Predictive Modeling and Spatial Analysis in Addressing Health Disparities Zachary D. Vernon and Grace H. Ting

    10. Using Spatial Analysis to Improve Health Care Services and Delivery at Baystate Health Jane L. Garb and Richard B. Wait

    11. Applying GIS Methods to Public Health Research at Harvard University Jeffrey C. Blossom, Julia L. Finkelstein, Weihe Wendy Guan and Bonnie Burns

    12. From Snow to GIS Librarians: The Case for Health GIS and Informatics Within the Library James Boxall

    13. Health-Related Geospatial Data and Social Media: Can You Harvest Geosocial Data? John A. Olson

    14. Suggested Resources Katherine H. Weimer

    Biography

    Amy J. Blatt earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences from Stanford University, USA; Master of Science degree in Biology from the University of Houston, USA; and Ph.D. degree in Geography from the University of Cincinnati, USA. She is certified by the GIS Certification Institute as a Geographic Information Systems Professional (GISP).

    'The book is a useful and well researched volume; it has already been peer reviewed as two special issues of the Journal of Map & Geography Libraries, but having it in book format with generous colour plates is a very handy option.' - Dr. Maged Boulos, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, International Journal of Health Geographics

    'Perspectives in Medical Geography is a worthy addition to conversations about how libraries can best support GIS and spatial data approaches to health care and medical research. It concludes with an excellent list of suggested resources.' - Greg Matthews, Cataloging Librarian, Reviews of Atlases, Books, and Digital Resources

    "The book is well illustrated with maps and graphics, all the chapters have references and some have notes. It is indexed, and there is a good "Suggested Resources" section as well. Even in this era of tight budgets, this book would be a good addition to a collection for libraries wanting or needing something in this area, as there a very few books that cover this topic." – Mina Davenport, University of California – San Francisco, J Med Lib Assoc 102(4) October 2014.