Geospatial analysis as a tool to identify target areas for Chagas disease education for healthcare providers

Abstract

Chagas Disease (CD) is a neglected zoonotic disease of the Americas. It can be fatal if not diagnosed and treated in its early stages. Using geospatial and sensitivity analysis, this study focuses on understanding how to better allocate resources and educational information to areas in the United States, specifically Texas, that have the potential for increased risk of CD cases and the associated costs of addressing the disease. ICD-9 and 10 inpatient hospital diagnostic codes were used to illustrate the salience of potentially missed CD diagnoses (e.g., cardiomyopathic diagnoses) and where these are occurring with more frequency. Coding software along with GIS and Microsoft Excel 3D mapping were used to generate maps to illustrate where there may be a need for increased statewide surveillance and screening of populations at greater risk for CD. The CD cases reported to the Texas Department of State Healthcare Services (TxDSHS) are not homogenously dispersed throughout the state but rather, reveal that the incidences are in clusters and primarily in urban areas, where there is increased access to physician care, CD research and diagnostic capabilities.