Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Formative Research
Date Submitted: Aug 15, 2023
Date Accepted: Jan 11, 2024
Enhancing Healthcare Accessibility and Equity: A Geoprocessing Toolbox for Spatial Accessibility Analysis
ABSTRACT
Background:
Access to healthcare services plays a vital role in ensuring population health and well-being. Measuring spatial accessibility to health services is essential for understanding healthcare distribution and addressing potential inequities.
Objective:
In this study, we developed a geoprocessing toolbox including Python script tools for ArcGIS Pro environment to measure the spatial accessibility of health services using both classic and enhanced versions of the Two-Step Floating Catchment Area (2SFCA) method.
Methods:
Each tool incorporated both distance buffers and travel time catchments to calculate accessibility scores based on users' choices. We conducted a case study focusing on the accessibility of hemodialysis services in the state of Tennessee using the four versions of the accessibility tools. Age as an important non-spatial factor influencing the accessibility of hemodialysis services was accounted for in the calculation of the target population.
Results:
The implemented tools are made accessible through ArcGIS Online for free use by the research community. The case study revealed disparities in the accessibility of hemodialysis services, with urban areas demonstrating higher scores compared to rural and suburban regions.
Conclusions:
These tools can serve as valuable decision-support resources to help healthcare providers, organizations, and policymakers improve equitable access to healthcare services.
Citation
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Copyright
© The authors. All rights reserved. This is a privileged document currently under peer-review/community review (or an accepted/rejected manuscript). Authors have provided JMIR Publications with an exclusive license to publish this preprint on it's website for review and ahead-of-print citation purposes only. While the final peer-reviewed paper may be licensed under a cc-by license on publication, at this stage authors and publisher expressively prohibit redistribution of this draft paper other than for review purposes.