Thoughtful by design

Terravia

Mapping health. Driving impact.

Health data is only useful when it is handled responsibly. Two concerns guide every decision we make as Terravia develops: the ethics of representing communities, and the technical rigor behind the data itself.

01 / ETHICAL

People and place

Health data should deepen understanding of a community, never stigmatize it. We present findings with their uncertainty intact, resist the suggestion that location alone determines health, and weigh how each visualization could affect the people it represents.

  • Safeguard privacy and never expose individuals.
  • State the limits and uncertainty behind every figure.
  • Describe communities with accuracy and respect.
02 / TECHNICAL

Data and method

Terravia uses one source, CDC PLACES county data (2025 release), so every figure on the map and in the chat comes from the same place, year, and method.

  • Every number comes from the dataset, never from the AI. Answers containing a number not in the data are withheld.
  • Every figure shows its source, year, and 95% confidence interval.
  • Tested: 22/22 sample questions, 37/37 guardrail cases, 500 random inputs with zero made-up numbers.
03 / LIMITATIONS

Behind the Data

Terravia is built on modeled estimates, so being clear about what those numbers can and cannot tell you is part of using them responsibly.

  • Values are modeled estimates from a national survey, not counts of diagnosed patients.
  • County-level only: differences within a county are hidden.
  • Confidence intervals overlap, so we say "among the highest," never "the highest."
  • No individual data is used. No one can be identified.
  • The assistant does not give medical advice and redirects personal health questions.