Aashis Lamsal

Document Type

Thesis - University Access Only

Award Date

2011

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department / School

Geography

Abstract

Good quality epidemiological maps assist in effective decision making to mitigate disease risks and to minimize associated losses. Although there has been considerable research addressing the design and usability of maps for public health applications, there has been less work on methods for visualizing complex spatiotemporal epidemic patterns. This thesis describes the usability evaluation of static, animated, and interactive visualization methods for mapping the spread of West Nile virus (WNV) across the conterminous United States. The three different WNV visualization methods were assessed by a subjectively chosen sample of end users with a GIS/remote sensing or public health backgrounds. A usability test assessed their abilities to discern spatiotemporal patterns, and a usability survey determined their opinions about the effectiveness of different geospatial visualization methods. The chi-square test of independence on the usability test results showed that there were no statistical differences among three different visualization methods in the users' ability discern the spatiotemporal patterns of the spread of WNV. Similarly, the Kruskal-Wallis test found that all visualization methods were equally suitable for WNV risk mapping, even though end users were less able to discern spatial patterns using the animated visualization method. The results of this study will help public health professionals to design more effective mapping tools to support the development of health plans, improve resource allocation, enhance the understanding and control of disease outbreaks, and ultimately create more disease-resilient communities.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Medical mapping

West Nile virus -- United States -- Epidemiology

West Nile virus -- Risk assessment -- United States

Visualization

Format

application/pdf

Number of Pages

61

Publisher

South Dakota State University

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