Web-based systems, on-line information streams and mobile devices have radically changed the way we monitor large-scale communities and engage with them. This workshop aims to explore how this revolution impacts on the ability to monitor signals related to public health in real time, engage with citizens and support public health interventions at individual and population levels underpinned by real time situational awareness.
The enormous potential to improve public health through harvesting, analysis, visualisation of Big Data cannot be more clearly expressed. Public health needs to leverage cutting edge computer science and availability of real time Big Data from social networks, blogs, games, 24×7 online media providing constant stream of real time situation-aware data to be harnessed, analysed and rapidly responded to increase public participation and avoid public health threats. Existing systems illustrating the potential of analysis of online data include HealthMap, Medysis, participatory flu surveillance system Epiworks and the Swine flu 2009 early warning system using Twitter developed at City University. Finally, due to social media and social networks, risk communication and public information about health threats takes place online in conjunction with official and traditional health communication channels.
The aim of this interdisciplinary workshop is to bring together public health professionals working in public health and epidemic intelligence services in WHO, ECDC, CDC and computer science researches in Big Data mining, crowdsourcing and SM user engagement to raise awareness of one of the most critical global applications: public health, user participation and risk communication.