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Track: Health Care Services
Ronald Fischbach
California State University, Northridge
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA 91330
Telephone: 818-677-3104
Fax: 818-831-9078
E-mail: Ronald.fischbach@csun.edu
Elio Spinello
Using GIS to Analyze Geographic Patterns of Acute Myocardial Infarction in Los Angeles County
Defining Issue: Target populations for preventive cardiology efforts can be identified geographically by understanding areas of highest incidence with respect to socioeconomic characteristics, physician office locations, hospital and emergency room access, and morbidity and mortality rates. GIS Solution: Using Atlas GIS and ArcView GIS, a comprehensive analysis of hospital discharges, death certificates, and medical facilities was performed for Los Angeles County. Methodology: This study evaluates the morbidity and mortality rates of acute myocardial infarction (MI) by combining hospital discharge data together with death certificate data for the same time period and geographic region. Concentrations of MI are analyzed with respect to location, proximity to health care providers, public transportation routes, and socio-economic and demographic characteristics. Based upon the above findings a prescriptive health education program can be designed and implemented with the objective of reducing the
incidence of MI. Software: The study was completed utilizing Atlas GIS Version 3.03, ArcView GIS Version 3.0, SPSS for Windows, and Visual FoxPro.
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