GIS Spatial Diffusion and Interaction Model

Hi Everybody!

I'm currently a student doing a research on using GIS spatial
diffusion and interaction model to monitor disease spread and identify
risk areas for medical intervention. I will also be doing a disease
simulation test to analyze the results.

There are a few questions that I would want to ask:
1) How does GIS spatial diffusion and interaction model work? I
understand the concept of spatial diffusion, e.g Expansion diffusion,
Contagious diffusion. What I don't understand is how spatial diffusion
and interaction model work in GIS.

2) Is it possible for me to do a simulation test on how disease spread
using GIS? Would I be using Arc Map or Arc Globe to do it? My
simulation test would just need to provide estimation on how disease
spread and not talking about animation. So my simulation test is more
of a 2D than 3D kind.

3) Where would be a good place for me to discuss such issues?

I'm a very new learner to this GIS topic, thus I'm still researching
alot now. I would like to hear the profession advices from you guys.

Thank you very much!

Regards,
Yan Long

Hello Yan,
I am very interested in this topic also. We made a very simple system
about a year ago... Let me know if this is helpful.

Watkins, R.E., Eagleson, S.L., Beckett, S., Garner, G., Veenendaal,
B., Wright., G and Plant, A.J., (2007)
Using GIS to create synthetic disease outbreaks BMC Medical
Informatics and Decision Making 2007 7:4
available online: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6947/7/4