Development of a Mobile Website Increases Public Accessibility to Environmental Health Services

About the Program

Category: Information Technology (Best in Category)

Year: 2012

The County of San Bernardino, Department of Public Health Division of Environmental Health Services (EHS) launched an initiative to improve quality of life, ensure public health and safety, and prevent environmental hazards for all residents and visitors through innovation, education, surveillance, enforcement, and community service. EHS recognized an opportunity to reach the growing population of mobile internet users by increasing accessibility to its services. EHS and the County Information Services Department (ISD) collaborated to develop a mobile interface which enables people with Smartphones to access EHS services on the web. With Smartphone technology the public can now access EHS resources and information as they travel or are away from their home or office. Greater access to county resources allows the public to locate a restaurant, view its rating by the health department, or submit a complaint while information is fresh in their mind. The public benefits in two ways. First, they have the resources and/or information to make more informed decisions. Second, they have a mechanism to immediately notify Environmental Health regarding public health and safety issues. Since implementing the mobile website, approximately 6% of EHS website views are attributed to mobile web users. Streamlining public access to county services reduces program costs and improves public health and safety.