Diana De Pietri1, Patricia Dietrich2, Patricia Mayo2, Alejandro Carcagno2, Ernesto de Titto1. 1. Dirección Nacional de Determinantes de la Salud e Investigación, Ministerio de Salud de la Nación, Buenos Aires, Argentina, depietrid@hotmail.com. 2. Centro de Información Metropolitana, Facultad de Arquitectura, Diseño y Urbanismo, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Characterize geographical indicators in relation to their usefulness in measuring regional inequities, identify and describe areas according to their degree of geographical accessibility to primary health care centers (PHCCs), and detect populations at risk from the perspective of access to primary care. METHODS: Analysis of spatial accessibility using geographic information systems (GIS) involved three aspects: population without medical coverage, distribution of PHCCs, and the public transportation network connecting them. RESULTS: The development of indicators of demand (real, potential, and differential) and analysis of territorial factors affecting population mobility enabled the characterization of PHCCs with regard to their environment, thereby contributing to local and regional analysis and to the detection of different zones according to regional connectivity levels. CONCLUSIONS: Indicators developed in a GIS environment were very useful in analyzing accessibility to PHCCs by vulnerable populations. Zoning the region helped identify inequities by differentiating areas of unmet demand and fragmentation of spatial connectivity between PHCCs and public transportation.
OBJECTIVE: Characterize geographical indicators in relation to their usefulness in measuring regional inequities, identify and describe areas according to their degree of geographical accessibility to primary health care centers (PHCCs), and detect populations at risk from the perspective of access to primary care. METHODS: Analysis of spatial accessibility using geographic information systems (GIS) involved three aspects: population without medical coverage, distribution of PHCCs, and the public transportation network connecting them. RESULTS: The development of indicators of demand (real, potential, and differential) and analysis of territorial factors affecting population mobility enabled the characterization of PHCCs with regard to their environment, thereby contributing to local and regional analysis and to the detection of different zones according to regional connectivity levels. CONCLUSIONS: Indicators developed in a GIS environment were very useful in analyzing accessibility to PHCCs by vulnerable populations. Zoning the region helped identify inequities by differentiating areas of unmet demand and fragmentation of spatial connectivity between PHCCs and public transportation.
Authors: Putu Duff; Gina Ogilvie; Jean Shoveller; Ofer Amram; Jill Chettiar; Paul Nguyen; Sabina Dobrer; Julio Montaner; Kate Shannon Journal: Am J Public Health Date: 2015-11-12 Impact factor: 9.308