Italian Tuscany Region Implements GIS Applications for Healthcare

Itlay’s Tuscany Region has implemented an open source software GIS application that will allow users to access public available information by healthcare organizations, museums, libraries, and courts of law. One of the developers, Viviana Cossi, says that “Any organization can use this system to publish their own combination of geo-referenced databases.” It is said that the process began in 2001 when Tuscany’s regional administration developed geo-referential access to data banks with its program ‘Sagabd’. The program’s server provides ways to generate maps, ensuring both flexibility and support in the creation process. Since the beginning, continuous support has be added for more data formats, giving the overall application an independent feel. The server was available as open source because of its easiness to incorporate existing codes into a project, as well as to follow regional protocol. People will be able to easily access and update vital information in the health care area. The creators of ‘Sagabd’ are hopeful that other administrations will catch on to it use and use the applications for themselves.
(Pictures left taken from: http://www.warren-wilson.edu/~studyabroad/images/tuscany.jpg)
(Picture right taken from: http://www.gardenretreats.net/images/galleries/tuscany/set1/A-tuscany-ks-02.jpg)
(Picture center taken from: http://www.italy-weather-and-maps.com/maps/italy/tuscany.gif)