Mapping Access to Children’s Hospitals in Texas
Date
2023-04
Authors
Dede-Bamfo, Nathaniel
Maleki, Shadi
Villagran, Melinda
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Longer travel time to healthcare facilities may negatively affect health outcomes [1]. This is particularly crucial if patients are children and need immediate care. The lack of access and distance to health care have been cited as major factors contributing to under-5 mortality and minimal healthcare utilization respectively [2]. A good or reliable access (≤ 60 minutes of travel time) to a healthcare facility is considered crucial for families with children [2]. Access to health facilities, however, is impacted by certain factors such as presence or lack of facilities [3], quality of existing transport infrastructure [4], and availability of a vehicle [4, 5]. In an emergency, for example, the availability of a vehicle plays a critical role, especially in rural and remote areas with lower access to different forms of transportation and often at longer distances from a hospital [6]. The purpose of this study is twofold. First, is to represent geographical accessibility to children’s hospitals by calculating and mapping the 60-minute travel time service areas for individual children’s hospitals in Texas. Spatial or geographical accessibility refers to physical accessibility and is often measured based on driving distance/time using a geographic information system (GIS). Second, is to model the hospital bedpatient ratio for each service area. This study uses the number of hospital beds as a proxy variable of resource availability, considered a primary indicator of healthcare resources in the literature [7].
Description
Keywords
healthcare facilities, travel time, children's hospitals
Citation
Dede-Bamfo, N., Maleki, S., & Villagran, M. (2023). Mapping access to children’s hospitals in Texas. Poster presented at the Health Scholar Showcase, Translational Health Research Center, San Marcos, Texas.