{"title":"The Brooklyn Health Map: Reflections on a Health Dashboard Visualizing Connections between Social Factors and Health Outcomes in Brooklyn, NY","authors":"Sheena Philogene","doi":"10.1080/15420353.2022.2155752","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The internet is often the first source that individuals use to find health-related information, because of the general abundance and ease of accessing information online. However, limited health data literacy skills and other barriers can make it difficult for users to locate and utilize the relevant and reliable health information that they need. Moreover, the various data scales used to report health information can oversimplify the nuances at the community level. Libraries and librarians are well positioned to connect individuals with relevant health information. Librarians, as information specialists, can be ideal creators of tools and resources that can help communicate impactful health information to individuals and communities in ways that are easier to understand, without losing vital details and integrity. This article presents reflections on the newly developed interactive community health dashboard, titled the Brooklyn Health Map, which focuses on Brooklyn, New York. The dashboard collects, organizes, and visualizes publicly available health information at three levels of geography (i.e., census tract, zip code, and neighborhood), in the form of maps, graphs, and data summaries to facilitate data discoverability and access. It lays out the major considerations in the development of the tool and reports on initial outcomes and opportunities that have emerged in the time since the tool has been created.","PeriodicalId":54009,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Map & Geography Libraries","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.3000,"publicationDate":"2022-05-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Map & Geography Libraries","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15420353.2022.2155752","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"INFORMATION SCIENCE & LIBRARY SCIENCE","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Abstract The internet is often the first source that individuals use to find health-related information, because of the general abundance and ease of accessing information online. However, limited health data literacy skills and other barriers can make it difficult for users to locate and utilize the relevant and reliable health information that they need. Moreover, the various data scales used to report health information can oversimplify the nuances at the community level. Libraries and librarians are well positioned to connect individuals with relevant health information. Librarians, as information specialists, can be ideal creators of tools and resources that can help communicate impactful health information to individuals and communities in ways that are easier to understand, without losing vital details and integrity. This article presents reflections on the newly developed interactive community health dashboard, titled the Brooklyn Health Map, which focuses on Brooklyn, New York. The dashboard collects, organizes, and visualizes publicly available health information at three levels of geography (i.e., census tract, zip code, and neighborhood), in the form of maps, graphs, and data summaries to facilitate data discoverability and access. It lays out the major considerations in the development of the tool and reports on initial outcomes and opportunities that have emerged in the time since the tool has been created.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Map & Geography Libraries is a multidisciplinary publication that covers international research and information on the production, procurement, processing, and utilization of geographic and cartographic materials and geospatial information. Papers submitted undergo a rigorous peer-review process by professors, researchers, and practicing librarians with a passion for geography, cartographic materials, and the mapping and spatial sciences. The journal accepts original theory-based, case study, and practical papers that substantially advance an understanding of the mapping sciences in all of its forms to support users of map and geospatial collections, archives, and similar institutions.