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Advancing Health Policy Using a Geographic Approach

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The Palgrave Handbook of Global Health Data Methods for Policy and Practice

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Abstract

Geraghty reflects on the long history of analysis of interactions between place and health and explains that forward-thinking organizations can leverage geographic information systems to allocate resources, budget, support policies, improve equity, defend decisions, and improve operational efficiency. She introduces the reader to three key questions: What is where? Why is it there? and Why do I care? Geraghty offers a use case that highlights the breadth of geographic capabilities and value, providing multiple examples. Finally, she offers insights into deploying a geographic information system with considerations of resources and planning that will increase the likelihood of successful implementation. Given the importance of geography in people’s lives, she demonstrates the value of understanding and embracing what geographic tools can bring to health policymaking.

Portions of this work were previously published by healthmanagement.org in December 2015 in an article entitled: Cancer research powered by place: How location and health go hand-in-hand.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Esri, Health and Human Services, Redlands, CA, USA

    Estella Geraghty

Authors
  1. Estella Geraghty
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Correspondence to Estella Geraghty .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics School of Medicine, and Institute for Global Health Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Sarah B. Macfarlane

  2. CAZ Consulting Sarl, Bloomberg Data for Health Initiative, Geneva, Switzerland

    Carla AbouZahr

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© 2019 The Author(s)

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Geraghty, E. (2019). Advancing Health Policy Using a Geographic Approach. In: Macfarlane, S., AbouZahr, C. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Global Health Data Methods for Policy and Practice. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-54984-6_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-54984-6_15

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-137-54983-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-137-54984-6

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