TY - JOUR
T1 - Reflection and comment
T2 - Health GIS in the mid-west: Unexpected developments and directions
AU - Houghton, Frank
PY - 2006
Y1 - 2006
N2 - The use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to address health issues is growing rapidly internationally. In Ireland, however, health GIS remains in its infancy. Nonetheless, significant progress has been made recently in one former Health Board in connection with developments in primary care. This project has dramatically increased the profile of GIS in health circles within the region. However, concerns emerged around with the growing professionalisation of the GIS function during this project. These included the tendency to hire GIS experts from technical, rather than social science backgrounds, and the conceptualisation of GIS in senior circles as a management control tool. Health (Medical) Geographers need to decide whether they wish to oppose the introduction of GIS in Irish health circles, ignore it, or actively try to lead and influence developments in this field. This last option is proposed to ensure that GIS remains a tool for exploring, identifying, highlighting and combating inequalities in health status, healthcare provision and healthcare access.
AB - The use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to address health issues is growing rapidly internationally. In Ireland, however, health GIS remains in its infancy. Nonetheless, significant progress has been made recently in one former Health Board in connection with developments in primary care. This project has dramatically increased the profile of GIS in health circles within the region. However, concerns emerged around with the growing professionalisation of the GIS function during this project. These included the tendency to hire GIS experts from technical, rather than social science backgrounds, and the conceptualisation of GIS in senior circles as a management control tool. Health (Medical) Geographers need to decide whether they wish to oppose the introduction of GIS in Irish health circles, ignore it, or actively try to lead and influence developments in this field. This last option is proposed to ensure that GIS remains a tool for exploring, identifying, highlighting and combating inequalities in health status, healthcare provision and healthcare access.
KW - GIS
KW - Geographical Information Systems
KW - Health
KW - Ireland
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33846179671&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/00750770609555869
DO - 10.1080/00750770609555869
M3 - Comment/debate
AN - SCOPUS:33846179671
SN - 0075-0778
VL - 39
SP - 99
EP - 104
JO - Irish Geography
JF - Irish Geography
IS - 1
ER -
