A Survey of the Use of Modeling, Simulation, Visualization, and Mapping in Public Health Emergency Operations Centers during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Ali Asgary (), Mahbod Aarabi, Shelly Dixit, He Wen, Mariah Ahmed and Jianhong Wu
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Ali Asgary: Disaster & Emergency Management, School of Administrative Studies & York Emergency Mitigation, Engagement, Response, and Governance Institute & ADERSIM, York University, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada
Mahbod Aarabi: Disaster & Emergency Management, School of Administrative Studies & York Emergency Mitigation, Engagement, Response, and Governance Institute & ADERSIM, York University, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada
Shelly Dixit: Disaster & Emergency Management, School of Administrative Studies & York Emergency Mitigation, Engagement, Response, and Governance Institute & ADERSIM, York University, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada
He Wen: Faculty of Engineering—Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E2, Canada
Mariah Ahmed: Disaster & Emergency Management, School of Administrative Studies & York Emergency Mitigation, Engagement, Response, and Governance Institute & ADERSIM, York University, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada
Jianhong Wu: York Emergency Mitigation, Engagement, Response, and Governance Institute & Laboratory for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, York University, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 3, 1-18

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly changed life and work patterns and reshaped the healthcare industry and public health strategies. It posed considerable challenges to public health emergency operations centers (PHEOCs). In this period, digital technologies such as modeling, simulation, visualization, and mapping (MSVM) emerged as vital tools in these centers. Despite their perceived importance, the potential and adaptation of digital tools in PHEOCs remain underexplored. This study investigated the application of MSVM in the PHEOCs during the pandemic in Canada using a questionnaire survey. The results show that digital tools, particularly visualization and mapping, are frequently used in PHEOCs. However, critical gaps, including data management issues, technical and capacity issues, and limitations in the policy-making sphere, still hinder the effective use of these tools. Key areas identified in this study for future investigation include collaboration, interoperability, and various supports for information sharing and capacity building.

Keywords: survey; digitalization; emergency operations center; EOC; PHEOC; COVID-19; emergency management; pandemic management; modeling; simulation; visualization; mapping (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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