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. 2004 Jun 10:4:17.
doi: 10.1186/1471-2334-4-17.

Implementing a public web based GIS service for feedback of surveillance data on communicable diseases in Sweden

Per Rolfhamre  1 , Katarzyna Grabowska, Karl Ekdahl
Affiliations

Implementing a public web based GIS service for feedback of surveillance data on communicable diseases in Sweden

Per Rolfhamre et al. BMC Infect Dis. .

Abstract

Background: Surveillance data allow for analysis, providing public health officials and policy-makers with a basis for long-term priorities and timely information on possible outbreaks for rapid response (data for action). In this article we describe the considerations and technology behind a newly introduced public web tool in Sweden for easy retrieval of county and national surveillance data on communicable diseases.

Methods: The web service was designed to automatically present updated surveillance statistics of some 50 statutory notifiable diseases notified to the Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control (SMI). The surveillance data is based on clinical notifications from the physician having treated the patient and laboratory notifications, merged into cases using a unique personal identification number issued to all Swedish residents. The web service use notification data from 1997 onwards, stored in a relational database at the SMI.

Results: The web service presents surveillance data to the user in various ways; tabulated data containing yearly and monthly disease data per county, age and sex distribution, interactive maps illustrating the total number of cases and the incidence per county and time period, graphs showing the total number of cases per week and graphs illustrating trends in the disease data. The system design encompasses the database (storing the data), the web server (holding the web service) and an in-the-middle computer (to ensure good security standards).

Conclusions: The web service has provided the health community, the media, and the public with easy access to both timely and detailed surveillance data presented in various forms. Since it was introduced in May 2003, the system has been accessed more than 1,000,000 times, by more than 10,000 different viewers (over 12.600 unique IP-numbers).

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The system design. The generating computer starts the process by retrieving data from the EpiArk, generates the web service and copies it to the web server.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Screenshot of the disease main page. This page is presented for all notifiable diseases.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Screenshot of the table presenting yearly and monthly statistics per county.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Screenshot of an interactive map, illustrating the geographical distribution in Sweden of where the cases were notified.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Screenshot of the graph illustrating trends. The red curve represents seasonal trends and the blue represents yearly trends.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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