Name: The problem with pandemic data - what we need to fix
Uploaded: 2020-12-01
Duration: 2 min 40 s
Description: Changes include disaggregating the data and finer scale mapping.

 CLIFTON LEAF: There's an old adage, of course, that what ultimately matters is what we measure. And the visualizations that the GIS software that you work with, Este, really provides a template for what seems important. We've seen those dashboards in terms of the number of people getting the disease, COVID-19, and dying of it around the world. What is missing? What would you like to see us measure from there in those dashboards that is emerging as a critical component for our decision making? ESTE GERAGHTY: think I would say probably first and foremost, that we need to do a better job of disaggregating aggregate data. So making sure we understand gender issues, race/ethnicity issues, age cohort issues, , so that we can really get a better handle on what's going on for different populations. I think in public health and health care for that matter, we've not had that disaggregation of data at a scale where we can easily do the research and understand what's going on behind those aggregate numbers. Because when you aggregate data, you miss disparities. And so that would probably be the first thing that I think we need. And then the second thing I would say is finer scale mapping. When we see mapping across the country, often the best we can do is at the county level. And problems, again, happen at the community level and we need to be able to hone in on what's going on in different communities to make really targeted interventions that have an impact. CLIFTON LEAF: You know-- MICHELLE WILLIAMS: If I may-- CLIFTON LEAF: Yeah, please jump in. MICHELLE WILLIAMS: If I may, I think that was just a beautiful response. And I would say that that's public health. It's using the data to identify, to frame the challenge, identify where the problems are, where the vulnerable population. And once you get past that, then there has to be very clear, effective, thoughtful communication about what the risks are of the status quo versus the opportunities for interventions that will make the status quo better. And so I think it's really evidence-based, data driven pursuit of identifying where the risks are. And then doing interventions that mitigate, if not eliminate those risks. 

The problem with pandemic data - what we need to fix

Este Geraghty, MD, and Michelle A. Williams

Uncategorized

Changes include disaggregating the data and finer scale mapping.