Geographical Information System for Community Health Monitoring

Monitoring and assessing health problem trends require health specialists to access high quality information in order to identify and prioritize problems, develop and evaluate policies and actions, organize the delivery of clinical health services, guide research and development, and contribute to the development of standards and guidelines. This enables public health planning, management, and monitoring. HARC is a non-profit organization in the Coachella Valley, collecting a wealth of data and information; but it lacked an effective or efficient approach to communicate the information with its clients. Their data were contained in a 700-page report on health indicators and disparities in Coachella Valley. Presenting data in a user-friendly format through the developed application made it easier for people to locate data for specific populations and to produce clear and easy-to-understand maps. HARC will also be able to increase awareness of the health problems faced by communities in Coachella Valley. HARC and its clients will use the application to view, query, print, and share information on health indicators, behavior, and disparities in the Coachella Valley.