Potential spatial accessibility of health care resources: an example of four counties and cities in northern Taiwan
Journal
Taiwan Journal of Public Health
Journal Volume
38
Journal Issue
3
Pages
316-327
Date Issued
2019
Author(s)
Abstract
Objectives: The purposes of this study were to evaluate potential spatial accessibility of health care resources in four counties and cities in northern Taiwan and examine the provision of medical services in areas with shortages of health care resource to identify the degree to which the potential spatial accessibility of health care resources has been be improved. Methods: We conducted our studying using data concerning population, physicians and medical institutions, travel distance, health insurance mobile health care, and integrated delivery system (IDS) service locations. The study subjects were the populations living in the villages of four counties and cities in northern Taiwan. This study calculated physician to population ratio within a 15-kilometer travel distance and applied this ratio as an indicator of the spatial accessibility of health care resources in the use of the enhanced two-step floating catchment area method. Results: Eleven villages (0.14%) had no physician resources within 15 kilometers, 144 villages (2.84%) were in less accessible areas, and 1,723 villages (97.02%) had sufficient resources within 15 kilometers. After mobile health care and IDS service resources were implemented, the number of villages with insufficient accessibility was reduced to 99 (2.33%). Conclusions: Most of the villages covered by mobile health care and IDS are located in areas with insufficient accessibility. The policies promoting these two services have responded to the actual situation, and there is no obvious misallocation of overall resources. However, 2.33% of the population (174,575) still resides in areas with insufficient medical resources. (Taiwan J Public Health. 2019;38(3):316-327).
Type
journal article