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Cuervo LG, Villamizar CJ, Osorio L, Ospina MB, Cuervo DE, Cuervo D, Bula MO, Zapata P, Owens NJ, Hatcher-Roberts J, Martín EA, Piquero F, Pinilla LF, Martínez-Herrera E, Jaramillo C. Dynamic measurements of geographical accessibility considering traffic congestion using open data: a cross-sectional assessment for haemodialysis services in Cali, Colombia. LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH. AMERICAS 2024; 34:100752. [PMID: 38737772 PMCID: PMC11087994 DOI: 10.1016/j.lana.2024.100752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Background Many cities with traffic congestion lack accessibility assessments accounting for traffic congestion and equity considerations but have disaggregated georeferenced municipal-level open data on health services, populations, and travel times big data. We convened a multistakeholder intersectoral collaborative group that developed a digital, web-based platform integrating open and big data to derive dynamic spatial-temporal accessibility measurements (DSTAM) for haemodialysis services. We worked with stakeholders and data scientists and considered people's places of residence, service locations, and travel time to the service with the shortest travel time. Additionally, we predicted the impacts of strategically introducing haemodialysis services where they optimise accessibility. Methods Cross-sectional analyses of DSTAM, accounting for traffic congestion, were conducted using a web-based platform. This platform integrated traffic analysis zones, public census and health services datasets, and Google Distance Matrix API travel-time data. Predictive and prescriptive analytics identified optimal locations for new haemodialysis services and estimated improvements. Primary outcomes included the percentage of residents within a 20-min car drive of a haemodialysis service during peak and free-flow traffic congestion. Secondary outcomes focused on optimal locations to maximise accessibility with new services and potential improvements. Findings were disaggregated by sociodemographic characteristics, providing an equity perspective. The study in Cali, Colombia, used geographic and disaggregated sociodemographic data from the adjusted 2018 Colombian census. Predicted travel times were obtained for two weeks in 2020. Findings There were substantial traffic variations. Congestion reduced accessibility, especially among marginalised groups. For 6-12 July, free-flow and peak-traffic accessibility rates were 95.2% and 45.0%, respectively. For 23-29 November, free-flow and peak traffic accessibility rates were 89.1% and 69.7%. The locations where new services would optimise accessibility had slight variation and would notably enhance accessibility and health equity. Interpretation Establishing haemodialysis services in targeted areas has significant potential benefits. By increasing accessibility, it would enhance urban health and equity. Funding No external or institutional funding was received.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Lyda Osorio
- School of Public Health, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Nancy J. Owens
- Independent Content and Communications Consultant, Fairfax, VA, USA
| | - Janet Hatcher-Roberts
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health in the Faculty of Medicine, and Bruyère Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | - Felipe Piquero
- Patient Advocate and Author of an Autopathography, Bogotá, Colombia
| | | | | | - Ciro Jaramillo
- School of Civil and Geomatic Engineering of the Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia
| | - The AMORE Project Collaborationp
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
- School of Public Health, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
- National Disability Board of Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
- IQuartil SAS, Bogotá, Colombia
- Independent Researcher, Bogotá, Colombia
- Independent Content and Communications Consultant, Fairfax, VA, USA
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health in the Faculty of Medicine, and Bruyère Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Colombian Association of Transplanted Athletes, Bogota, Colombia
- Patient Advocate and Author of an Autopathography, Bogotá, Colombia
- Universidad de la Sabana, Campus del Puente del Común, Chía, Cundinamarca, Colombia
- National Faculty of Public Health, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
- School of Civil and Geomatic Engineering of the Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia
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Park J, Michels A, Lyu F, Han SY, Wang S. Daily changes in spatial accessibility to ICU beds and their relationship with the case-fatality ratio of COVID-19 in the state of Texas, USA. APPLIED GEOGRAPHY (SEVENOAKS, ENGLAND) 2023; 154:102929. [PMID: 36960405 PMCID: PMC10011039 DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2023.102929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many patients could not receive timely healthcare services due to limited availability and access to healthcare resources and services. Previous studies found that access to intensive care unit (ICU) beds saves lives, but they overlooked the temporal dynamics in the availability of healthcare resources and COVID-19 cases. To fill this gap, our study investigated daily changes in ICU bed accessibility with an enhanced two-step floating catchment area (E2SFCA) method in the state of Texas. Along with the increased temporal granularity of measurements, we uncovered two phenomena: 1) aggravated spatial inequality of access during the pandemic, and 2) the retrospective relationship between insufficient ICU bed accessibility and the high case-fatality ratio of COVID-19 in rural areas. Our findings suggest that those locations should be supplemented with additional healthcare resources to save lives in future pandemic scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinwoo Park
- Department of Geography and Geographic Information Science, University of Illinois Urbana- Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- CyberGIS Center for Advanced Digital and Spatial Studies, University of Illinois Urbana- Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Alexander Michels
- Department of Geography and Geographic Information Science, University of Illinois Urbana- Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- CyberGIS Center for Advanced Digital and Spatial Studies, University of Illinois Urbana- Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Fangzheng Lyu
- Department of Geography and Geographic Information Science, University of Illinois Urbana- Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- CyberGIS Center for Advanced Digital and Spatial Studies, University of Illinois Urbana- Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Su Yeon Han
- Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, USA
| | - Shaowen Wang
- Department of Geography and Geographic Information Science, University of Illinois Urbana- Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- CyberGIS Center for Advanced Digital and Spatial Studies, University of Illinois Urbana- Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
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Mumo E, Agutu NO, Moturi AK, Cherono A, Muchiri SK, Snow RW, Alegana VA. Geographic accessibility and hospital competition for emergency blood transfusion services in Bungoma, Western Kenya. Int J Health Geogr 2023; 22:6. [PMID: 36973723 PMCID: PMC10041813 DOI: 10.1186/s12942-023-00327-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Estimating accessibility gaps to essential health interventions helps to allocate and prioritize health resources. Access to blood transfusion represents an important emergency health requirement. Here, we develop geo-spatial models of accessibility and competition to blood transfusion services in Bungoma County, Western Kenya. METHODS Hospitals providing blood transfusion services in Bungoma were identified from an up-dated geo-coded facility database. AccessMod was used to define care-seeker's travel times to the nearest blood transfusion service. A spatial accessibility index for each enumeration area (EA) was defined using modelled travel time, population demand, and supply available at the hospital, assuming a uniform risk of emergency occurrence in the county. To identify populations marginalized from transfusion services, the number of people outside 1-h travel time and those residing in EAs with low accessibility indexes were computed at the sub-county level. Competition between the transfusing hospitals was estimated using a spatial competition index which provided a measure of the level of attractiveness of each hospital. To understand whether highly competitive facilities had better capacity for blood transfusion services, a correlation test between the computed competition metric and the blood units received and transfused at the hospital was done. RESULTS 15 hospitals in Bungoma county provide transfusion services, however these are unevenly distributed across the sub-counties. Average travel time to a blood transfusion centre in the county was 33 min and 5% of the population resided outside 1-h travel time. Based on the accessibility index, 38% of the EAs were classified to have low accessibility, representing 34% of the population, with one sub-county having the highest marginalized population. The computed competition index showed that hospitals in the urban areas had a spatial competitive advantage over those in rural areas. CONCLUSION The modelled spatial accessibility has provided an improved understanding of health care gaps essential for health planning. Hospital competition has been illustrated to have some degree of influence in provision of health services hence should be considered as a significant external factor impacting the delivery, and re-design of available services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eda Mumo
- Population Health Unit, Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Nairobi, Kenya
- Department of Geomatic Engineering and Geospatial Information System (GEGIS), Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Nathan O. Agutu
- Department of Geomatic Engineering and Geospatial Information System (GEGIS), Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Angela K. Moturi
- Population Health Unit, Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Anitah Cherono
- Population Health Unit, Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Samuel K. Muchiri
- Population Health Unit, Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Robert W. Snow
- Population Health Unit, Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Nairobi, Kenya
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Victor A. Alegana
- Population Health Unit, Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Nairobi, Kenya
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Analyzing Spatial Location Preference of Urban Activities with Mode-Dependent Accessibility Using Integrated Land Use–Transport Models. LAND 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/land11081139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Accessibility is the ease of reaching opportunities (goods, services, activities, and destinations). Accessibility of desirable locations such as households and commercial locations, is typically scaffolded by land use patterns and transportation infrastructure. It can reflect people’s travel convenience, cities’ viability, sustainability, and mitigate the negative effects on the environment and public safety. Consequently, it is recognized as a fundamental principle in urban sustainable development policies worldwide. In the literature, most of the studies have used a static or partially dynamic approach with a single mode such as a car or public transportation by using conventional models. These “static” models assume that household locations are static and that transportation supply and opportunities for social practice activities are fixed in time and space, which can lead to biased or even misleading assumptions in accessibility models. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of dynamic spatial accessibility through Mode-Dependent Accessibility (MDA) on the location choice behaviors of urban activities such as households and commercialin the City of Wuhan, China. This study employed the Mode-Dependent Travel Demand Model (M-TDM) to measure the impact of short-term MDA on household and commercial activities for the years 2012 and 2015. Additionally, an integrated spatial economic (ISE) model such as PECAS (Production, Exchange, Consumption, Allocation, System) in order to investigate location preferences of urban activities over space and time. Regarding household and commercial location choice, the ISE modeling results revealed that households and commercial activities are sensitive to MDA, especially using transit. The ISE method predicted that the R2 for household and commercial location choice models was 0.84 to 0.90 for transit-based accessibility, whereas the R2 for logsum-based static models was 0.48 to 0.72. In addition, their findings suggest that highly accessible locations that are well served by auto are more appealing for household and commercial activities. The findings of this study will help urban planners, transportation planners, and policymakers take into account the dynamic nature of short-term MDA when zoning and allocating urban activities and public amenities, instead of using static accessibility.
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Assessing Park Accessibility Based on a Dynamic Huff Two-Step Floating Catchment Area Method and Map Service API. ISPRS INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GEO-INFORMATION 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/ijgi11070394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Park green space (PGS) is an important part of urban ecosystem and green infrastructure, and the ease of access to PGS is closely related to the health of residents. A growing number of studies have attempted to identify accessibility disparities, but results have varied because of the travel mode choice and the measurement method. This study proposes a dynamic Huff two-step floating catchment area (H2SFCA) method based on map service API (Application Programming Interface) to assess the accessibility of PGS, with the Gini coefficient and bivariate local Moran’s I used to analyze accessibility equity. Results show that: (1) driving and biking modes have more significant spatiotemporal compression effects than dynamic modes, public transit, and walking mode. (2) The accessibility values and spatial patterns vary significantly by travel mode. The PGS availability pattern at the local level is more uneven than the distribution of accessibility at the regional level. In comparison with dynamic travel modes, the accessibility values for the single travel mode are more likely to be overestimated or underestimated. (3) The PGS accessibility by the dynamic modes generally has better spatial equity and residents can select suitable travel tools to acquire more equitable park services. In addition, there is a significant accessibility difference between dynamic driving-based mode and dynamic transit-based mode in four subdistricts, which are mainly located in the south of Tianhe District. The public transport facilities linking parks in these areas need to be optimized. This study further improves the accessibility evaluation method, with the findings conducive to the implementation of refined PGS planning and management.
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Park J, Goldberg DW. An Examination of the Stochastic Distribution of Spatial Accessibility to Intensive Care Unit Beds during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of the Greater Houston Area of Texas. GEOGRAPHICAL ANALYSIS 2022; 55:GEAN12340. [PMID: 35941845 PMCID: PMC9350384 DOI: 10.1111/gean.12340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Sufficient and reliable health care access is necessary for people to be able to maintain good health. Hence, investigating the uncertainty embedded in the temporal changes of inputs would be beneficial for understanding their impact on spatial accessibility. However, previous studies are limited to implementing only the uncertainty of mobility, while health care resource availability is a significant concern during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Our study examined the stochastic distribution of spatial accessibility under the uncertainties underlying the availability of intensive care unit (ICU) beds and ease of mobility in the Greater Houston area of Texas. Based on the randomized supply and mobility from their historical changes, we employed Monte Carlo simulation to measure ICU bed accessibility with an enhanced two-step floating catchment area (E2SFCA) method. We then conducted hierarchical clustering to classify regions of adequate (sufficient and reliable) accessibility and inadequate (insufficient and unreliable) accessibility. Lastly, we investigated the relationship between the accessibility measures and the case fatality ratio of COVID-19. As result, locations of sufficient access also had reliable accessibility; downtown and outer counties, respectively, had adequate and inadequate accessibility. We also raised the possibility that inadequate health care accessibility may cause higher COVID-19 fatality ratios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinwoo Park
- Department of GeographyTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTexasUSA
| | - Daniel W. Goldberg
- Department of GeographyTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTexasUSA
- Department of Computer Science & EngineeringTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTexasUSA
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Combining Temporal and Multi-Modal Approaches to Better Measure Accessibility to Banking Services. ISPRS INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GEO-INFORMATION 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/ijgi11060350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The UK, as elsewhere, has seen an accelerating trend of bank branch closures and reduced opening hours since the early 2000s. The reasons given by the banks are well rehearsed, but the impact assessments they provide to justify such programs and signpost alternatives have been widely criticized as being inadequate. This is particularly so for vulnerable customers dependent on financial services who may face difficulties in accessing remaining branches. There is a need whilst analyzing spatial patterns of access to also include temporal availability in relation to transport opportunities. Drawing on a case study of potential multi-modal accessibility to banks in Wales, we demonstrate how open-source tools can be used to examine patterns of access whilst considering the business operating hours of branches in relation to public transport schedules. The inclusion of public and private travel modes provides insights into access that are often overlooked by a consideration of service-side measures alone. Furthermore, findings from the types of tools developed in this study are illustrative of the additional information that could be included in holistic impact assessments, allowing the consequences of decisions being taken to close or reduce the operating hours of bank branches to be more clearly communicated to customers.
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Exploring Food Deserts in Seoul, South Korea during the COVID-19 Pandemic (from 2019 to 2021). SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14095210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, our lifestyle (e.g., food culture) has changed. In particular, the food insecurity issue has exacerbated. To address this issue, this study aims to measure spatial accessibility to food outlets and identify food deserts in Seoul, South Korea during the COVID-19 pandemic (i.e., 2019–2021). To assess spatial access to food outlets, we used the enhanced two-step floating catchment area (E2SFCA) method. The results from the E2SFCA methods showed that spatial accessibility to restaurants increased, but access to grocery stores decreased. A noticeable change occurred in Gangnam and Seocho. The Gini coefficients indicated that equality in spatial accessibility to restaurants fluctuated (i.e., worsened from 2019 to 2020 and improved from 2020 to 2021), whereas equality in spatial accessibility to grocery stores improved. The results help to identify prioritized regions where additional food resources can be placed, especially for marginalized people who have limited access to food due to their socio-economic status.
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Ng KY, Ho CL, Koh K. Spatial-Temporal Accessibility and Inequality of Veterinary Service in Hong Kong: A Geographic Information System-Based Study. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:857914. [PMID: 35498724 PMCID: PMC9051507 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.857914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Veterinary services are vital to the welfare of pets and their owners. Previous studies examined multiple factors affecting pet owners' decision to consult veterinarians, yet few studied the spatial accessibility of veterinary services. This study is one of the pioneering studies on the spatial-temporal accessibility of veterinary service and how it is associated with social and spatial inequality in Hong Kong. We measured the spatial availability and accessibility of both general and 24/7 veterinary clinics (i.e., veterinary clinics offering service for 24 hours, seven days a week or providing emergency services outside of business hours) using Geographic Information System and principal component analysis. We found that the spatial distribution pattern of general and 24/7 veterinary clinics can be explained by the average district-to-district distances and the area of a district. In addition, social and spatial inequality of access to veterinary services were observed. The spatial accessibility of general veterinary clinics within walking distance is negatively correlated with household size and the number of public-housing and subsidized-housing households, but positively correlated with the number of private-housing households. The spatial availability and accessibility of 24/7 veterinary service are positively correlated with the number of private housing households and households with the highest monthly household income, and the latter also positively correlates with a population with a post-secondary degree, further shedding light on the social and spatial inequality issue that communities with wealthier households and highly educated populations have more accessibility to 24/7 veterinary services. Last, we argue that the need-based veterinary support tends to target remote rural areas while overlooking the new growth areas close to the traditional urban core but poor in accessibility to veterinary care. Therefore, a comprehensive investigation into the pet ownership landscape and their needs over space and time will be beneficial to construct a more robust animal welfare system in Hong Kong.
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Measuring the Differences of Public Health Service Facilities and Their Influencing Factors. LAND 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/land10111225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The equitable distribution of public health facilities is a major concern of urban planners. Previous studies have explored the balance and fairness of various medical resource distributions using the accessibility of in-demand public medical service facilities while ignoring the differences in the supply of public medical service facilities. First aid data with location information and patient preference information can reflect the ability of each hospital and the health inequities in cities. Determining which factors affect the measured differences in public medical service facilities and how to alter these factors will help researchers formulate targeted policies to solve the current resource-balance situation of the Ministry of Public Health. In this study, we propose a method to measure the differences in influence among hospitals based on actual medical behavior and use geographically weighted regression (GWR) to analyze the spatial correlations among the location, medical equipment, medical ability, and influencing factors of each hospital. The results show that Wuhan presents obvious health inequality, with the high-grade hospitals having spatial agglomeration in the city-center area, while the number and quality of hospitals in the peripheral areas are lower than those in the central area; thus, the hospitals in these peripheral areas need to be further improved. The method used in this study can measure differences in the influence of public medical service facilities, and the results are consistent with the measured differences at hospital level. Hospital influence is not only related to the equipment and medical ability of each hospital but is also affected by location factors. This method illustrates the necessity of conducting more empirical research on the public medical service supply to provide a scientific basis for formulating targeted policies from a new perspective.
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