Article Text
Abstract
Objective To show and illustrate to what extent, GIS could be an opportunity for work-related and occupational diseases surveillance, in combining relevant “spatialisable” information from different data sources, in order to help analyse and present existing data in a systematic, and easily understandable way; which might be of great help for surveillance, vigilance, and prevention purposes.
Methods Cases of Work related diseases (“numerator”) from different and complementary sources, as well as data related to underlying industrial tissue and working population according to activity sectors (“denominator”) are to be georeferenced and projected (mapped together) with GIS software. For the purpose of our illustration, numerator data are those from the French National Surveillance Scheme on OD Surveillance and Prevention rnv3p, and data from a compensated scheme; data from the denominator are files of enterprises from Chambers of Commerce and Industry as well as from the French National Health insurance company for salaried workers.
Supplementary qualitative knowledge might also be gathered, georeferenced and mapped to increase the level of information produced (here: data from “on the ground” by occupational physicians). We used ArcGIS (9th and 10 th version) software and basemaps from the National Geographic Institute (IGN) and OpenStreetMap (OSM).
Results Results are illustrated by maps derived from analyses concerning one specific activity sector. The differences and complementarities in case capture between the work-related diseases surveillance scheme and the compensated OD register are highlighted. The spreading of some toxicological risks from companies to their subcontractors is also shown.
Conclusion This methodology, by combining different data sources and a convenient visualisation of the results, is of a great help to adopt a systemic and integrate point of view on OD. Furthermore, it might help surveillance systems to better analyse some issues of concern (capture, shading zone, geographical patterns of referrals or reporting, etc[3DOTS]).
Acknowledgements rnv3p, ANSES, CNAM-TS.