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Lessons Learnt From Exercise Celestial Navigation: The Application of a Geographic Information System to Inform Legionnaires’ Disease Control Activity

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 May 2018

Emma Quinn ,
Kai Hsiao ,
George Truman ,
Nectarios Rose  and
Richard Broome
Emma Quinn*
Affiliation:
Sydney Local Health District, Public Health Unit, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
Kai Hsiao
Affiliation:
Sydney Local Health District, Public Health Unit, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
George Truman
Affiliation:
Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, Public Health Unit, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
Nectarios Rose
Affiliation:
Communicable Disease Branch, Health Protection NSW, North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Richard Broome
Affiliation:
Sydney Local Health District, Public Health Observatory, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to Dr Emma Quinn, Public Health Epidemiologist in Biopreparedness, Public Health Unit, Sydney Local Health District Level 9 North, KGV Building, Missenden Road, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia (e-mail: [email protected])
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Abstract

Geographic information systems (GIS) have emerged in the past few decades as a technology capable of assisting in the control of infectious disease outbreaks. A Legionnaires’ disease cluster investigation in May 2016 in Sydney, New South Wales (NSW), Australia, demonstrated the importance of using GIS to identify at-risk water sources in real-time for field investigation to help control any immediate environmental health risk, as well as the need for more staff trained in the use of this technology. Sydney Local Health District Public Health Unit (PHU) subsequently ran an exercise (based on this investigation) with 11 staff members from 4 PHUs across Sydney to further test staff capability to use GIS across NSW. At least 80% of exercise participants reported that the scenario progression was realistic, assigned tasks were clear, and sufficient data were provided to complete tasks. The exercise highlighted the multitude of geocoding applications and need for inter-operability of systems, as well as the need for trained staff with specific expertise in spatial analysis to help assist in outbreak control activity across NSW. Evaluation data demonstrated the need for a common GIS, regular education and training, and guidelines to support the collaborative use of GIS for infectious disease epidemiology in NSW. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2019;13:372–374)

Keywords

communicable diseasesoutbreaksemergency preparednessgeographic mapping
Type
Report from the Field
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 13 , Issue 2 , April 2019 , pp. 372 - 374
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2018 

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