{"id":1504481,"date":"2020-11-29T16:50:25","date_gmt":"2020-11-29T20:50:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/healthinfocanada.ca\/esri-canada-why-where-matters\/"},"modified":"2024-09-14T16:47:46","modified_gmt":"2024-09-14T20:47:46","slug":"esri-canada-why-where-matters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/healthinfocanada.ca\/?p=1504481","title":{"rendered":"Why ‘where’ matters"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Esri Canada<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"COVID<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic has led us to new ways of looking at the world and each other. Understanding where the hotspots are is fundamental to understanding how to respond. Where is help needed first? And where will it be needed next?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The science of where is what Esri is all about. As the world leader in geographic information system (GIS) technology, Esri uses the lens of location to unlock data and information, and reveal patterns. We have always known that ‘where’ matters, and in 2020, due to the pandemic, it weighs heavier in public health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Johns Hopkins University dashboard<\/a> that graphically shows where COVID-19 has spread is perhaps the most viral GIS-based application the world has ever seen. Named one of TIME Magazine\u2019s Best Inventions of 2020<\/a>, the dashboard has received billions of views, and it has inspired the creation of thousands of dashboards and maps around the world, from Korea to Colombia. People want to see what is happening in their city, their province\u2014and governments depend on data to implement safety restrictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We know that public health agencies are under enormous pressure to provide better data about the pandemic. We believe location intelligence can help you see health data in an insightful way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Esri Canada is providing a wide variety of free resources for Canadian health professionals. Our COVID-19 Canada Resource Hub<\/a> has holistic information about the outbreak in Canada, including\u202fbilingual maps,\u202fapps\u202fand other resources. It is constantly updated and features\u202fseveral dashboards: Canadian outbreak tracker<\/a>, regional trends<\/a> and community health<\/a>, among other resources, which you can use to understand the pandemic. The hub also includes ready-to-use COVID-19 recovery solutions<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Managing health data is complicated; it differs from province to province. But the demand is clear. For example, hospitals need to predict if they have the capacity for people who need it. Do they have enough beds, ventilators, and PPE for health workers? Answering these questions informs better community resilience and what we call ‘location allocation.’ Who needs what, and where?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some other capabilities when using a GIS approach\u2014putting your data on a map and conducting spatial analysis\u2014are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n