This article touches on three public healthcare applications that have been implemented via the power of Web 2.0 architecture. Each application uses multiple live links for interactive collaborative study of statistical data. The primary focus is on how web 2.0 technologies are being applied to the creation of web-based Geovisualization and Geocollaboration applications within the arena of public healthcare.

Web 2.0 facilitates web-based information sharing and user collaboration in a social media, user-centered, design environment. Geovisualization utilizes modern technology to render real time changes in mapped data. Geocollaboration is a coined term that represents the current collaborative methods being applied to the process of handling and collecting geospatial data.

Each of the three applications discussed within this article utilize a different variant of the Web 2.0 architecture.

PA-CCA

The Pennsylvania Cancer Atlas (“PA-CCA”) utilizes geovisualization tools to explore cancer data at a county-based level. The principle focus is on cancer surveillance and control. The information contains a collection of statistical incidence rates pertaining to prostate and colorectal cancer that incorporates age, gender, race, and the current stage at the time of diagnosis. The target audience includes state and local public healthcare professionals and department heads. For additional details seehttp://statecancerprofiles.cancer.gov.

The Web 2.0 architecture in the PA-CCA project includes an Adobe Flash client, a GeoServer web service application, and geographically referenced datasets that are indexed via the PostGreSQL database. The interactive, live-link graphics include mapped details, cumulative frequency plotting, pyramid population of statistics, and various summary tables.

Health GeoJunction

The Health GeoJunction is a web-based application that utilizes a geovisual analytics tool to extract and map information datasets from available scientific and public health documents. The process helps researchers identify cross-connections within the mined fragments of data details.

The Health GeoJunction targets the needs of researchers and analysts who seek to monitor and respond to current and future disease events. The Health GeoJunction utilizes an Adobe Flex client, various internally developed API web services, and a PostGreSQL database for indexing the documents. The entire process utilizes and implements eight distinctive Web 2.0 services, including java scripts, GeoServer web map services, automated keyword extraction features, and various custom cloud tagging web features.

G-EX

The Geo-Explication (“G-EX”) utilizes web-based geocollaboration tools to analyze artifacts, accumulated datasets, and various training materials in conjunction with geovisual analysis applications. The process targets researchers who utilize ESDA and geovisualization software.

The conceptual applications range form basic screenshots to geospatial datasets to textual notes and multimedia tutorials. The basic format is centered on the Web 2.0 model of social networking make popular by sites that allow for annotation and dissemination of user generated content. Think Facebook and Youtube. The fundamental architecture of the G-EX Portal incorporates a Java web service intermediary, a Flex client, and the advanced power of PostGreSQL database indexing features.

Four links are available to G-EX users:

1. Search module used to browse, filter, and synthesize within the repository
2. Collaboration module used for data annotation, analysis, viewing, and discussion
3. Learning module that incorporates browser interfaces and multimedia tutorials
4. A review module that enhances access to the users profile space, the analysis reports of other users, and various upload repositories.

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