Empirical designation of health service areas.

A method for identifying viable health service areas for a state is described. A computer program was developed that evaluates combinations of contiguous counties using a set of 56 variables strategic to the construction of health planning areas and the spatial context of health care delivery, in keeping with the structural requirements of the National Health Planning and Resources Development Act of 1974. The objective of the evaluation is to minimize differences among planning regions and between planning regions and the state.