Geospatial data in health and welfare research 23.10.2018

IMPRO project is aiming to improve knowledge base and service optimisation to support health and social services reform. The project is organizing seminar ”Geospatial data in health and welfare research” at the University of Helsinki main building on 23.10.2018.

The seminar is intended to researchers, decision makers, students and others who are interested in how geographic data can be used in improving health services.

Program and presentations

Opening
Tiina Laatikainen, professor, University of Eastern Finland
Markku Tykkyläinen, professor, University of Eastern Finland (presentation in SlideShare)

Key note: State of Art in Geospatial Technologies for Health (presentation in SlideShare)
Eric Delmelle, associate professor, Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, University of North Carolina

Temporal Dimension in Accessibility Research (presentation in SlideShare)
Tuuli Toivonen, associate professor, Department of Geosciences and Geography, Helsinki University

Taxi ride sharing and health care (presentation in SlideShare)
Harri Antikainen, postdoctoral researcher, Department of Geography, University of Oulu

Social and health care services as an optimization problem (presentation in SlideShare)
Pasi Fränti, professor , School of Computing, University of Eastern Finland

Multimodal accessibility of primary health care and social services (presentation in SlideShare)
Ossi Kotavaara, postdoctoral researcher, Department of Geography University of Oulu

Using Electronic Health Records in Studying Spatial Disparities and Quality of care among chronic patients in Siun Sote region (presentation in SlideShare)
Maija Toivakka & Teppo Repo, University of Eastern Finland

The Power of Location in Health Care Development (presentation in SlideShare)
Ilkka Suojanen, chief technology officer, Esri Finland

Feedback from Eric Delmelle and discussion

Closing words
Tiina Laatikainen, professor, University of Eastern Finland
Markku Tykkyläinen, professor, University of Eastern Finland

Additional materials

Eric Delmelle: Disease Mapping  (presentation in SlideShare)

Contact

For more information:
impro@thl.fi.

Information about speakers

Harri Antikainen

Harri Antikainen completed his PhD in geoinformatics at the University of Oulu in 2009. He has more than 15 years of experience in using geospatial techniques and data for a wide range of applications, focusing mostly on routing problems and geography of health. He is particularly interested in the design and implementation of algorithms and geoprocessing operations for spatial optimization tasks and manipulation of spatial data.

Eric Delmelle

Eric Delmelle

Eric Delmelle is an Associate Professor of Geography at the University of North Carolina. He has developed novel geospatial methods and interactive visualization techniques to the field of public health. Specifically, Eric’s research focuses on answering fundamental epidemiological questions where spatial and spatiotemporal methodologies are critical. Eric has developed new, robust geocomputational approaches to deepen our understanding on the dynamics of infectious and chronic diseases. For instance, the development of new visualization techniques to detect space-time patterns at different scales (e.g. clusters), and state-of-the art computational techniques (e.g. cyberGIS, parallel computing) for unusually large datasets. Eric’s research has been funded by the March of Dimes and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Eric has developed strong ties with researchers from the Public Health Sciences Department at Charlotte, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention the University of Florida and the University of Salzburg in Austria. Eric has been involved in various health related projects, such as 1) estimating spatiotemporal patterns of vector-borne diseases, 2) evaluating geographic access to health care in Florida for children born with birth defects, 3) modeling the diffusion of health information in local communities, 4) estimating disparities in food access in urban and rural areas, and more recently, 5) mapping the spatial distribution of contaminants present in water from private wells. In all these projects, estimating and visualizing uncertainty remains a key component.

Pasi Fränti

Pasi Fränti

Pasi Fränti received his MSc and PhD degrees from the University of Turku, 1991 and 1994 in Science. Since 2000, he has been a professor of Computer Science at the University of Eastern Finland (UEF). His main research interests are in machine learning, data mining, pattern recognition including clustering algorithms and intelligent location-aware systems. Significant contributions have also been made in image compression, image analysis, vector quantization and speech technology. He has published 74 journals and 166 peer review conference papers, including 14 IEEE transaction papers.

Pasi Fränti is the head of the Machine Learning group at the school of computing at UEF. He has supervised 25 PhD students. All graduates work in research, teaching (postdoc, lecturer, associate professor), or in research & development in academia or in IT companies located in Finland, Shanghai, Singapore, Germany, Romania and Iran.

Ossi Kotavaara

Ossi Kotavaara

Ossi is post doctoral researcher in the field of geoinformatics. He thinks that the strength of spatial analysis and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is in their ability to reveal and simplify complex and extensive phenomena to understandable and manageable forms. His GIS based research covers the fields of geoinformatics, transport geography, regional science as well as population and economic geographies. The analytical basis is in applying and developing GIS methods for exploring, planning and optimising processes and structures in geographic context.

Ossi´s GIS analytical experience consists of four main fields: 1) network based accessibility analyses and method development in this field, 2) spatial-statistical/geo-spatial modelling 3) map production and 4) implementation of large computations by programming. Furthermore, by mixed use of geo-spatial and qualitative approaches, even more powerful composition is formed to tackle problems in dynamic society.

Teppo Repo

Teppo Repo

Teppo Repo is geographer and PhD candidate in University of Eastern Finland. His current research topic focuses on spatial analysis of risk factors, prevalence and treatment outcomes of chronic diseases, predominantly coronary heart disease.

Ilkka Suojanen

Ilkka Suojanen

Ilkka is an experienced professional with over 18 years of experience on wide range of geospatial technology. He has seen the migration from mainframe to mobile, the cloud and today’s app culture. Ilkka has completed a master’s degree in geography at the University of Turku and his special area of expertise is an innovative use of GIS technology in various industries.

Ilkka believes that we are moving to a new information paradigm – Location as a Service, it’s going to change the way we think about Service Delivery, Driverless Cars, Wearables, Big Data and a whole lot more. What if the geographic approach will take the guesswork out of health care service delivery and solve health care resource problems?

Maija Toivakka

Maija Toivakka

Maija Toivakka received her MSc degree in geography from the University of Eastern Finland in 2012. Currently she is doing PhD studies and working as a project researcher in the department of Geographical and Historical studies at the University of Eastern Finland. Maija’s main research interests are in geography of health and GIS. The aim of her doctoral thesis is to assess the spatial variation in quality and outcomes of care among type 2 diabetes patients in North Karelia region.

Tuuli Toivonen

Tuuli Toivonen is an associate professor of geoinformatics at the department of geosciences and geography, University of Helsinki. Tuuli has a broad interest in the approaches and applications of geoinformatics that may support sustainability in spatial planning, policy and decision-making.

Currently, her research focuses on developing novel approaches for understanding human accessibility and mobility in urban and natural environments, as well as studying their implications to urban sustainability and nature conservation.

Toivonen is a director of the multidisciplinary Digital Geography Lab that is linked to the Helsinki Institute for Sustainability Science and the Helsinki Institute of Urban and Regional Research Studies.

Markku Tykkyläinen

Markku Tykkyläinen

Professor Markku Tykkyläinen is specialized in geospatial health research with a background in planning and economic geography and economics. His expertise comprises modeling, simulations and regional and geospatial analyses. He is leading a Geospatial Health research group at the University of Eastern Finland.