Internet-Based Intelligence in Public Health Emergencies. Early Detection and Response in Disease Outbreak Crises (Vol. 105 Nato Science for Peace…

Description

Momentous social events result from the sum of micro-level changes in daily individual life, and by observing and fusing publicly available data, such as web searches and other internet traffic, it is possible to anticipate events such as disease outbreaks. However, this ability is not without risks, and public concern about the possible consequences of improper use of this technology cannot be ignored. Opportunities for open discussion and democratic scrutiny are required.

This book has its origins in the workshop Internet-Based Intelligence for Public Health Emergencies and Disease Outbreak: Technical, Medical, and Regulatory Issues, held in Haifa, Israel, in March 2011. The workshop was attended by 28 invited delegates from nine countries, representing various disciplines such as public health, ethics, sociology, informatics, policy-making, intelligence and security, and was supported by the NATO Science for Peace and Security Programme. Its starting point was the 2009 outbreak of swine flu in Mexico. The book includes both scientific contributions presented during the meeting and some additional articles that were submitted later.

Interactions between public health and information and communication technologies are destined to be of great importance in the future. This book is a contribution to the ongoing dialogue between scholars and practitioners, which will be essential to public acceptance and safety as we rely more and more on the internet for predicting trends, decision-making and communication with the public.

Contents

Front Matter and Contents

Introduction
Authors: Emilio Mordini

Internet-Based Intelligence: Prediction or Foreknowledge?
Authors: Matteo E. Bonfanti, Andrew P. Rebera

Public Health, Intelligence, and National Security: an Approach for the 21st Century
Authors: Jesse Birnbaum, Michael Hopmeier

Digital Disease Detection
Authors: Marjorie P. Pollack

New Communication Strategies in Epidemics
Authors: Donato Greco

Strategies for Communicating with the Public Effectively Using Websites and Social Media during Emergencies and Disease Outbreaks
Authors: Anat Gesser-Edelsburg

The A/H1N1 Pandemic in Italy: Surveillance, Communication and Formation through the Internet
Authors: Eva Benelli, Marina Innorta, Roberto Satolli, Stefania Salmaso

Internet Based Health Communication: Analysis of Messages on the Websites of Serbian Public Health Institutes
Authors: Goran Belojevic

Contemporary Issues of Information Security in Health Care
Authors: Artak Barseghyan

Secure Personal Health Information System for Use in Disasters and Public Health Emergencies
Authors: James J. James, James M. Lyznicki, Cheryl Irmiter, Patricia Sokol, Lauren Walsh, Italo Subbarao

Disease Surveillance, Benefit and Sample Sharing
Authors: Reidar K. Lie

Subject Index

Author Index