@article{3097330,
    title = "Methodological aspects of a GIS-based environmental health inspection
program used in the Athens 2004 Olympic and Para Olympic Games",
    author = "Hadjichristodoulou, C and Soteriades, ES and Kolonia, V and Falagas, ME and and Pantelopoulos, E and Panagakos, G and Mouchtouri, V and Kremastinou, and J",
    journal = "BMC Public Health",
    year = "2005",
    volume = "5",
    publisher = "BMC",
    issn = "1471-2458",
    doi = "10.1186/1471-2458-5-93",
    abstract = "Background: The use of geographical information system (GIS)
technologies in public health surveillance is gradually gaining momentum
around the world and many applications have already been reported in the
literature. In this study, GIS technology was used to help county
departments of Public Health to implement environmental health
surveillance for the Athens 2004 Olympic and Para Olympic Games.
Methods: In order to assess the workload in each Olympic county, 19
registry forms and 17 standardized inspection forms were developed to
register and inspect environmental health items requiring inspection
(Hotels, restaurants, swimming pools, water supply system etc),
respectively. Furthermore, related databases were created using Epi Info
2002 and a geographical information system (GIS) were used to implement
an integrated Environmental Health inspection program. The project was
conducted in Athens by the Olympic Planning Unit (OPU) of the National
School of Public Health, in close cooperation with the Ministry of
Health and Social Solidarity and the corresponding departments of Public
Health in all municipalities that were scheduled to host events during
the Athens 2004 Olympic and Para Olympic games.
Results: A total of 44,741 premises of environmental health interest
were geocoded into GIS databases and several electronic maps were
developed. Using such maps in association with specific criteria, we
first identified the maximum workload required to execute environmental
health inspections in all premises within the eleven Olympic County
Departments of Public Health. Six different scenarios were created for
each county, based on devised algorithms in order to design the most
effective and realistic inspection program using the available
inspectors from each municipality. Furthermore, GIS applications were
used to organize the daily inspection program for the Olympic games,
provide coloured displays of the inspection results and link those
results with the public health surveillance of specific cases or
outbreak investigation.
Conclusion: Our computerised program exhibited significant efficiency in
facilitating the prudent use of public health resources in implementing
environmental health inspections in densely populated urban areas as
well as in rural counties. Furthermore, the application of simple
algorithms in integrating human and other resources provided tailored
and cost-effective applications to different public health agencies."
}