Health Atlas Ireland

Health Atlas Ireland is an award winning web application portal supporting Health Service Planning and Monitoring. It is an open-source mapping, database and statistical system. The system integrates geographic information, health event datasets and statistical components.
Health Atlas Ireland

 

epractice Public Service Award Achievment award

 

Health Atlas Ireland is a web application portal supporting Health Service Planning and Monitoring. It is an open-source mapping, database and statistical system. The system integrates GIS, database and statistical components. A user-friendly interface supports web-enabled access across the Irish health sector and collaborating agencies.

Features

  • Presents data in charts and maps – numbers, icons, thematics, statistically processed data, multivariate cartograms.

  • Analyses raw data, supports small number suppression.

  • Ensures data protection through a formal information governance framework

  • Allows drill down to small area and point data.

  • Allows excellent user control

  • Uses exclusively open source software – OpenLayers, R, GRASS, PostGIS, Mapserver, Zope, Python, Linux, OpenLDAP and many supporting applications and libraries

  • Integrates An Post GeoDirectory to deliver address location and address cleansing functionality.

  • Delivers independent services to other HSE users outside HIU – Napa, HRB, Cancer Registry, RSA, HSE Communications, Primary Care

  • Is scalable and extensible – easy to add new data.

Logical Architecture

logical.jpg

The HealthAtlasIreland is built with Open Source Software components, implementing Open Standards and uses a Content Management System design pattern to deliver software services over the public internet with appropriate security processes and protocols.

System Component Overview.

HealthAtlas Ireland is illustrative of much of the features, functionality and components required by the FSU System.

HealthAtlas Ireland is a web based geographical and statistical analysis health informatics system build and commissioned by OpenApp for the Health Service Executive. The system includes:

  1. Spatial Analysis and Map rendering

    • Map theming

    • Symbol and theme customisation

    • Generation and analysis of area and point networks.

  2. Numerical and Statistical Analysis

  • Pivot Table function for ‘on screen’ query and analysis.

  • Counts, Rates, Ratios, Confidence intervals

  • Integrated R library for statistical tests such as clusters (Moran’s I, Geary C)

  1. Data services

  • Dataset loading and update including spatial data-types.

  • Maps (raster and vector from Ordnance Survey) included, external sources like Google Maps and Open Street Maps

  • GeoCoding service giving x.y coordinates or area locations.

  1. Visualising and Reporting

  • Public Website data dissemination through maps

  • Templated reports from dynamic data

  • Print output from A4 to A0

  • On screen analysis with ‘layering’ methodology

  1. Portal services

  • Access, membership and persistence

  • Folder paradigm with local roles and local datasets

  • Integration of disparate data sources and data types

Healthatlas Ireland technology components

A high level view of the technology components that deliver this system is depicted below.

component.jpg

 

The main components are

  1. PostgreSQL relational database with PostGIS spatial extensions. PostresSQL supports embedded languages giving the option to embed R and other languages.

  2. Supporting OSGEO geospatial libraries, GDAL, GD, OGR

  3. Mapserver to generate raster maps

  4. Zope web application server for content management components, system integration and application components.

  5. HealthAtlasIreland client developed on OpenLayers

  6. GRASS and R Project delivering libraries of GIS and spatial statistical functions.

  7. Web Feature Server WFS and Web Map Server WMS are both used to deliver the RSA collision application.

Filed under: , ,