Monitoring the Spreading of Infectious Diseases in Finland

Monitoring the Spreading of Infectious Diseases in Finland Assignment Presentation December 8, 2010

Markku Laine markku.laine@gmail.com

Presentation Outline

•  Introduction •  Problem Statement •  Application Description •  Conclusions

Introduction

Infectious Diseases in Finland The Procedure

Infectious Diseases in Finland

•  Infectious disease –  A clinically evident illnesses caused by a microorganism, such

as viruses, bacteria, and fungi –  Transmitted through liquids, food, body fluids, contaminated

objects, airborne inhalation, or through vector-borne spread

•  National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL, in Finnish: Terveyden ja hyvinvoinnin laitos) –  Reports, monitors, and prevents the spreading of infectious

diseases in Finland –  Maintains Infectious Diseases Register (IDR)

The Procedure

Day 1: First

symptoms google

Day 2: Sick at home

Day 3: Consults a

doctor

Day 4: Analysis

of the samples

Day 4-7: Diagnosis

Day ~14: THL’s

Infectious Diseases

Register is updated

Problem Statement

Problems with the Procedure and THL’s Infectious Diseases Register

Problems with the Procedure and THL’s Infectious Diseases Register •  No forecast •  A series of analyses

needs to be performed •  Data

–  Not accurate enough –  HTML tables –  Not linked –  Reporting lag of two

weeks

Not useful for laboratory personnel, doctors, patients, etc.

Application Description

Overview User Interface Architecture

Overview

•  An application for monitoring the spreading (current status, history, and forecast) of infectious diseases in Finland

•  Provides more accurate, linked, and real-time data about various infectious diseases in Finland

•  Presents the data in a nicely visualized and human-understandable form (interactive map)

•  Provides accurate estimate of the current level of various infectious diseases (based on Google search queries)

User Interface

Architecture

Conclusions

Benefits

Benefits

•  For laboratory personnel –  Fewer analyses of the samples to be performed

•  For doctors –  More accurate diagnosis

•  For health district –  Saves time and money

•  For patients –  Faster recovery