Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
to the public without subscription fees (Freifeld et al. 2008; Brownstein et al.
2008). The system has even been featured in mainstream media publica-
tions, such as Wired News and Scientific American, indicating the broad
utility of such a system that extends beyond public health practice (Keller
et al. 2009).
Additionally, the system is fully automated, acquiring data every hour and
utilizing text-mining algorithms to characterize reports. With full automa-
tion, minimal staff are needed to accomplish the primary aims of HealthMap,
and focus can be placed on system-wide improvements and ongoing research
(Keller et al. 2009).
The ability of HealthMap to organize data according to geography, time,
and infectious disease agent is yet another benefit to this system. The system
automatically queries, filters, integrates, and creates a visualization of Web-
based reports on infectious disease outbreaks. This structured visualization
of outbreaks onto an interactive map gives users the ability to quickly and
easily focus in on specific areas of interest.
6.7 Limitations
One limitation to the HealthMap system is that sources that are currently
freely available may not always be accessible. As business models change,
news sources may begin to charge an online subscription fee. Currently,
operational costs remain minimal for HealthMap, as reports are acquired
solely from free sources. In addition to potential increases in cost, the format
that online news has taken may change and develop in the upcoming years,
which would require a retooling of the system in order to continue to capture
the appropriate information (Brownstein et al. 2008).
The use of international news media for public health surveillance has a num-
ber of potential biases that warrant consideration. While local news sources may
report on incidents involving a few cases that would not be picked up at the
national level, such sources may be less reliable, lacking resources and public
health training, and may report stories without adequate confirmation. Other
biases may be more intentional such as those introduced for political reasons
through disinformation campaigns or state censorship of information relating
to outbreaks (Brownstein et al. 2008). There may also be economic incentives
for countries to not fully disclose the nature and extent of an outbreak (Wilson
and Brownstein 2009). Through a 43-week evaluation of HealthMap data, it was
found that the frequency of reports about particular pathogens was related to
the direct or potential economic and social disruption caused by the outbreak
versus the associated morbidity or mortality impact (Brownstein et al. 2008).
In addition, there is a clear bias toward increased reporting from coun-
tries with higher numbers of media outlets, more developed public health
