This awesome video explains how two Public Health specialists use a Technology Platform (Twitter) to map data. It’s pretty amazing and data like this can truly revolutionize the field of public health.
I can absolutely imagine a mapping tool that would help isolate the spread of malaria in Africa by “arming” all people in regions with affordable cell phones, and access to Twitter. When a crisis hits a team could rapidly deploy and distribute much needed nets to the region.
The possibilities are endless.
“Michael J. Paul and Mark Dredz reveal secrets to public health hidden in plain sight. Any single Tweet may seem insignificant, but taken together billions of Tweets can unlock insights to our public health.
Michael J. Paul and Mark Dredz analyzed two billion Tweets for relevance to health information and then compared the results to data from the Centers for Disease Control. They demonstrated that Twitter can accurately track the spread of influenza, the peak of allergies and predict how diseases spread and change over time. Their research suggests new uses for big data.” via @TwitterStories
