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Published on: February 25, 2013
Mapping the Storm: Linking Tornado Paths to Emergency Room Surges Through Geocoded Patient Data
Katherine Pyasik1, Katherine Bieber2, Adam Wilcox1
1Washington University in St. Louis.
Summary
This study analyzed healthcare use after the St. Louis tornado. Geocoding helped map emergency room visits and understand patient proximity to the tornado
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Disaster Medicine
- Geographic Information Systems
Background:
- Natural disasters like tornadoes significantly impact public health systems.
- Tornadoes can cause sudden surges in emergency department (ED) visits.
- Understanding healthcare demand during severe weather is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze healthcare utilization patterns following the May 16th St. Louis tornado.
- To assess the role of geocoding in understanding disaster-related healthcare demand.
- To examine the spatial relationship between patient location and emergency room (ER) use.
Main Methods:
- Extracted de-identified patient data from electronic health records.
- Utilized HIPAA-compliant geocoding to determine patient geographic coordinates.
- Calculated patient distances to the tornado's path to analyze ER utilization.
Main Results:
- Quantified changes in ER visit volumes pre- and post-tornado.
- Assessed the spatial association between proximity to the tornado path and ER utilization.
- Demonstrated the utility of geocoding in retrospective disaster health analysis.
Conclusions:
- Geocoding is a valuable tool for analyzing healthcare utilization during natural disasters.
- Patient proximity to a tornado's path is associated with increased ER visits.
- This methodology aids in modeling and preparing for future healthcare demands during severe weather events.
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