| In this study we consider methodological and applied issues in geographic disease cluster detection. In the early chapters of our study, we discuss rationale for using cluster detection methods. In Chapter 2, we outline features of geographic health surveillance, and suggest that some cluster detection methods offer important advantages over other methods of spatial analysis when used in surveillance applications. In Chapter 3, we present a normative rationale for using cluster detection methods in the context of chronic disease prevention. In the last two chapters, we describe and evaluate an approach to cluster detection that is able to find clusters of irregular shape. In Chapter 4, we present the method in detail and evaluate it in the context of simulated data. In Chapter 5, we observe the method's performance with respect to real disease data. We conclude the study by arguing that our new approach may be of use when applied in conjunction with more traditional techniques of disease cluster detection. |
