scholarly journals Determining Variations in Access to Public Hospitals in Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: A GIS-Based Approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-32
Author(s):  
Mazen Baazeem ◽  
Marc Tennant ◽  
Estie Kruger
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Population Distribution ◽  
Health Facilities ◽  
Public Hospitals ◽  
Spatial Accessibility ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Gis Technology

Background: Variation in gaining accessibility to public hospitals in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, has not been investigated before. Good access to public health facility will lead to improvements in the population’s health. Maps and geographical information system (GIS) technology can provide assistance to address public health coverage issues. Aims: This study aimed to use GISs to identify spatial accessibility to hospitals in Makkah, based on the radius and drive-time analysis technique. Method: Using Quantum GIS (QGIS), a geodatabase was created to include 8 public hospitals’ locations and data of population distribution across the city. Buffer zones at 2.5, 5, 7, and 10 km radius from the public hospitals were identified and examined. Results: The findings revealed that most of the health facilities across the suburbs of Makkah were located in urban areas, while rural and remote areas were neglected. Conclusion: Public health facilities were distributed relative to high population density. One-third of the city’s population does not have proper access to healthcare services.

scholarly journals Spatial accessibility to basic public health services in South Sudan

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter M. Macharia ◽  
Paul O. Ouma ◽  
Ezekiel G. Gogo ◽  
Robert W. Snow ◽  
Abdisalan M. Noor
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Facility ◽  
Service Provider ◽  
Population Distribution ◽  
South Sudan ◽  
Civil Conflict ◽  
Health Facilities ◽  
Spatial Accessibility ◽  
Walking Distance ◽  
Health Access

At independence in 2011, South Sudan’s health sector was almost non-existent. The first national health strategic plan aimed to achieve an integrated health facility network that would mean that 70% of the population were within 5 km of a health service provider. Publically available data on functioning and closed health facilities, population distribution, road networks, land use and elevation were used to compute the fraction of the population within 1 hour walking distance of the nearest public health facility offering curative services. This metric was summarised for each of the 78 counties in South Sudan and compared with simpler metrics of the proportion of the population within 5 km of a health facility. In 2016, it is estimated that there were 1747 public health facilities, out of which 294 were non-functional in part due to the on-going civil conflict. Access to a service provider was poor with only 25.7% of the population living within one-hour walking time to a facility and 28.6% of the population within 5 km. These metrics, when applied sub-nationally, identified the same high priority, most vulnerable counties. Simple metrics based upon population distribution and location of facilities might be as valuable as more complex models of health access, where attribute data on travel routes are imperfect or incomplete and sparse. Disparities exist in South Sudan among counties and those with the poorest health access should be targeted for priority expansion of clinical services.

scholarly journals Noncommunicable Disease Service Utilization among Expatriate Patients in Thailand: An Analysis of Hospital Service Data, 2014–2018

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (18) ◽  
pp. 9721
Author(s):  
Anon Khunakorncharatphong ◽  
Nareerut Pudpong ◽  
Rapeepong Suphanchaimat ◽  
Sataporn Julchoo ◽  
Mathudara Phaiyarom ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Service Utilization ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Public Hospitals ◽  
Noncommunicable Disease ◽  
Noncommunicable Diseases ◽  
P Value ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Cross Sectional

Global morbidity associated with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) has increased over the years. In Thailand, NCDs are among the most prevalent of all health problems, and affect both Thai citizens and non-Thai residents, such as expatriates. Key barriers to NCD health service utilization among expatriates include cultural and language differences. This study aimed to describe the situation and factors associated with NCD service utilizations among expatriate patients in Thailand. We employed a cross-sectional study design and used the service records of public hospitals from the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) during the fiscal years 2014–2018. The focus of this study was on expatriates or those who had stayed in Thailand for at least three months. The results showed that, after 2014, there was an increasing trend in NCD service utilizations among expatriate patients for both outpatient (OP) and inpatient (IP) care. For OP care, Cambodia, Laos PDR, Myanmar, and Vietnam (CLMV) expatriates had fewer odds of NCD service utilization, relative to non-CLMV expatriates (p-value < 0.001). For IP care, males tended to have greater odds of NCD service utilization compared with females (AdjOR = 1.35, 95% CI = 1.05–1.74, p-value = 0.019). Increasing age showed a significant association with NCD service utilization. In addition, there was a growing trend of the NCD prevalence amongst expatriate patients. This issue points to a need for prompt public health actions if Thailand aims to have all people on its soil protected with universal health coverage for their well-being, as stipulated in the Sustainable Development Goals. Future studies that aim to collect primary evidence of expatriates at the household level should be conducted. Additional research on other societal factors that may help provide a better insight into access to healthcare for NCDs, such as socioeconomic status, beliefs, and attitudes, should be conducted.

scholarly journals Measuring COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage to Support Healthcare Equity Decision-Making in Urban Areas

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alireza Mohammadi ◽  
Abolfazl Mollalo ◽  
Robert Bergquist ◽  
Behzad Kiani
Keyword(s):  
Vaccination Coverage ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Geographical Information Systems ◽  
Public Hospitals ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Public Healthcare ◽  
Special Importance ◽  
Decision Matrix ◽  
Spatial Access ◽  
Public Health Decision

Abstract Background: Limited studies have been conducted on access to COVID-19 vaccines and identifying the most appropriate health centres for performing vaccination in metropolitan areas. This study aimed to measure potential spatial access to COVID-19 vaccination centres in Mashhad, the second-most populous city in Iran.Methods: The age structure of the urban census tracts was integrated into the enhanced two-step floating catchment area model to improve accuracy. The model was developed based on three different scenarios: only public hospitals, only public healthcare centres, and the top 20% healthcare centres were employed as potential vaccination facilities. The weighted decision-matrix and analytic hierarchy process based on four criteria (i.e. service area, accessibility index, capacity of vaccination centres, and distance to main roads) were used to choose potential vaccination centres with the highest suitability for residents.Results: Our findings indicate that including the both public hospitals and public healthcare centres can provide high accessibility to vaccination in central parts of the urban areas. However, using only public healthcare centres for vaccination can provide higher accessibility to vaccination sites in the eastern and north-eastern parts of the study area. Therefore, a combination of public hospitals and public healthcare centres is recommended for efficient vaccination coverage.Conclusions: Measuring spatial access to COVID-19 vaccination centres can provide valuable insights for urban public health decision-makers. Our model, coupled with geographical information systems (GIS), provides more efficient vaccination coverage by identifying the most suitable healthcare centres, which is of special importance when only few centres are available.

scholarly journals Examining the Potential of Blockchain Technology to Meet the Needs of 21st-Century Japanese Health Care: Viewpoint on Use Cases and Policy

10.2196/13649 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. e13649 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim Mackey ◽  
Hirofumi Bekki ◽  
Tokio Matsuzaki ◽  
Hiroshi Mizushima
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health System ◽  
Health Care Access ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Public Health System ◽  
Innovation Policy ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Blockchain Technology

Japan is undergoing a major population health transition as its society ages, and it continues to experience low birth rates. An aging Japan will bring new challenges to its public health system, highlighted as a model for universal health coverage (UHC) around the world. Specific challenges Japan’s health care system will face include an increase in national public health expenditures, higher demand for health care services, acute need for elder and long-term care, shortage of health care workers, and disparities between health care access in rural versus urban areas. Blockchain technology has the potential to address some of these challenges, but only if a health blockchain is conceptualized, designed, localized, and deployed in a way that is compatible with Japan’s centralized UHC-centric public health system. Blockchain solutions must also be adaptive to opportunities and barriers unique to Japan’s national health and innovation policy, including its regulatory sandbox system, while also seeking to learn from blockchain adoption in the private sector and in other countries. This viewpoint outlines the major opportunities and potential challenges to blockchain adoption for the future of Japan’s health care.

scholarly journals Choice of birth place among antenatal clinic attendees in rural mission hospitals in Ebonyi State, South-East Nigeria

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonard O. Ajah ◽  
Fidelis A. Onu ◽  
Oliver C. Ogbuinya ◽  
Monique I. Ajah ◽  
Benjamin C. Ozumba ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Antenatal Clinic ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Health Facilities ◽  
Public Hospitals ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Maternity Services ◽  
Birth Place

AbstractBackgroundLow utilization of health facilities for delivery by pregnant women poses a public health challenge in Nigeria.AimTo determine the factors that influence the choice of birth place among antenatal clinic attendees.MethodologyThis was a cross-sectional study of the eligible antenatal clinic attendees at Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Afikpo and Saint Vincent Hospital, Ndubia in Ebonyi State from February 1, 2016 to June 30, 2016. Analysis was done using EPI Info 7.21 software (CDC Atlanta Georgia).ResultsA total of 397(99.3%) completely filled questionnaires were collated and analysed. Approximately 71% of the health facilities closest to the respondents had maternity services. It took at least 1 hour for 80.9% of the respondents to access health facilities with maternity services. Most (60.2%) of the respondents had antenatal care attendance and majority of them did so at public hospitals. Approximately 43.8% of the respondents were delivered by the skilled birth attendants. The common determinants of birth place were nearness of the health facilities, familiarity of healthcare providers, improved services, sudden labour onset and cost. Also 61.7% of the respondents chose to deliver in public health facilities due to favourable reasons but this could be hampered by the rudeness of some healthcare providers at such facilities. A significant proportion of private health facilities had unskilled manpower and shortage of drugs.ConclusionA greater proportion of women will prefer to deliver in health facilities. However there are barriers to utilization of these facilities hence the need for reversal of this ugly trend.

scholarly journals Predictors of Anaemia prevalence among pregnant women in urban Ghana: a cross-sectional study

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jones Asafo Akowuah ◽  
Ebenezer Owusu-Addo ◽  
Ama Opuni Antwiwaa
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Folic Acid ◽  
Adverse Effects ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Health Facilities ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Iron Sulphate

Abstract Background Anaemia during pregnancy is a major public health concern. Despite its wide scope and adverse effects including increased maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality, and long-term adverse effects in the new born, extensive interventions using upstream approaches to public health have largely not been implemented. This study investigated the prevalence and associated factors of anaemia in pregnant women in four health facilities in the Kwabre East Municipality of Ghana.Method A cross-sectional survey with a two-stage sampling technique was conducted on 220 pregnant women who attended antenatal care at the selected health facilities. Interview-based structured questionnaires were used. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to identify predictors.Results The prevalence of anaemia was 11.4%. Few women (25) were anaemic and morphologically, 14 had normocytic normochromic (56%) anemia and 9 had Microcytic hypochromic (36) anaemia. Iron deficiency was reported in 19 (8.6%) pregnant women. Iron sulphate intake (AOR [95% CI] = 3.16 [1.15, 7.37], ANC follow-up during pregnancy (AOR [95% CI] = 3.07 [1.59, 7.99], household size of ≥ 5 (AOR [95% CI] = 3.58 [1.75, 9.52], folic acid intake (AOR [95% CI] = 5.29 [2.65, 12.39] and the period in pregnancy AOR [95% CI]= ≥36 weeks 3.2 (1.3–4.5) were independent predictors of anemia.Conclusion Though anaemia prevalence has been low in urban areas as previously reported, collaborated healthcare measures that aim at eradicating the menace are encouraged. Maternal health care interventions including the administration of folic acid, regular iron sulphate intake and intensive education on early ANC are recommended.

scholarly journals Assessing Spatial Accessibility to Medical Resources at the Community Level in Shenzhen, China

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lei Zhu ◽  
Shuang Zhong ◽  
Wei Tu ◽  
Jing Zheng ◽  
Shenjing He ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Population Data ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Public Hospitals ◽  
Community Level ◽  
Spatial Accessibility ◽  
Public Healthcare ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Medical Resources ◽  
Private And Public ◽  
The City

Spatial accessibility to medical resources is an integral component of universal health coverage. However, research evaluating the spatial accessibility of healthcare services at the community level in China remains limited. We assessed the community-level spatial access to beds, doctors, and nurses at general hospitals and identified the shortage areas in Shenzhen, one of the fastest growing cities in China. Based on hospital and population data from 2016, spatial accessibility was analyzed using several methods: shortest path analysis, Gini coefficient, and enhanced 2-step floating catchment area (E2SFCA). The study found that 99.9% of the residents in Shenzhen could get to the nearest general hospital within 30 min. Healthcare supply was much more equitable between populations than across communities in the city. E2SFCA scores showed that the communities with the best and worst hospital accessibility were found in the southwest and southeast of the city, respectively. State-owned public hospitals still dominated the medical resources supply market and there was a clear spatial accessibility disparity between private and public healthcare resources. The E2SFCA scores supplement more details about resource disparity over space than do crude provider-to-population ratios (PPR) and can help improve the efficiency of the distribution of medical resources.

scholarly journals Geospatial Analyses of Thyroid Cancer Incidence in Kelantan, Malaysia

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Thyroid Cancer ◽  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Public Health Intervention ◽  
Public Hospitals ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
P Value ◽  
Geographical Access ◽  
Effective Form

Geographical Information System (GIS) has been widely used in evaluating health data. GIS-based disease mapping can act as a tool for an effective form of communication in public health and planning disease surveillance strategies. Yet, there is limited data on spatial distribution of cancer in Malaysia. In the present study, GIS was employed to map the thyroid cancer incidences, analyse the spatial distribution of the cases and assess their geographical accessibility to public hospitals. Registries of patients diagnosed with thyroid carcinoma from the year of 2013 to 2020 were retrieved and information regarding the year of diagnosis, age, gender, residential addresses and histological subtypes were obtained. The coordinates of residential addresses and public hospitals were obtained using Global Positioning System (GPS) and the radius of public hospitals were set within and beyond 10 km. Then, all data were inserted into ArcGIS 10.2 software and spatial analysis was performed. A total of 90 cases with thyroid carcinomas were recorded and mapped. The spatial distribution of thyroid cancer cases in Kelantan represented a clustered pattern (NNR: 0.549377, p-value <0.001) with most cases concentrated at northern part of Kelantan. Buffer analysis revealed that most of the cases (60%, 54 cases) were located within 10 km radius from public hospitals and the remaining 36 cases (40%) were situated beyond 10 km radius from public hospitals. In conclusion, thyroid cancer cases in Hospital USM were clustered with most cases concentrated at the northern part of the state. Majority of the cases have a good geographical access to public hospitals. These study findings provide useful information for health practitioners in planning public health intervention by targeting locations with poor geographical access to health facilities in order to improve overall health population in Kelantan.

scholarly journals Estimating the Spatial Accessibility to Blood Group and Rhesus Type Point-of-Care Testing for Maternal Healthcare in Ghana

Diagnostics ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Desmond Kuupiel ◽  
Kwame M. Adu ◽  
Vitalis Bawontuo ◽  
Duncan A. Adogboba ◽  
Tivani P. Mashamba-Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Travel Time ◽  
Blood Group ◽  
Spatial Data ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
Health Facilities ◽  
Public Hospitals ◽  
Spatial Accessibility ◽  
Maternal Healthcare ◽  
Medical Laboratories ◽  
Health Centres

Background: In Ghana, a blood group and rhesus type test is one of the essential recommended screening tests for women during antenatal care since blood transfusion is a key intervention for haemorrhage. We estimated the spatial accessibility to health facilities for blood group and type point-of-care (POC) testing in the Upper East Region (UER), Ghana. Methods: We assembled the attributes and spatial data of hospitals, clinics, and medical laboratories providing blood group and rhesus type POC testing in the UER. We also obtained the spatial data of all the 131 towns, and 94 health centres and community-based health planning and services (CHPS) compounds providing maternal healthcare in the region. We further obtained the topographical data of the region, and travel time estimated using an assumed tricycle speed of 20 km/h. We employed ArcGIS 10.5 to estimate the distance and travel time and locations with poor spatial access identified for priority improvement. Findings: In all, blood group and rhesus type POC testing was available in 18 health facilities comprising eight public hospitals and six health centres, one private hospital, and three medical laboratories used as referral points by neighbouring health centres and CHPS compounds without the service. Of the 94 health centres and CHPS compounds, 51.1% (48/94) and 66.4% (87/131) of the towns were within a 10 km range to a facility providing blood group and rhesus type testing service. The estimated mean distance to a health facility for blood group and rhesus POC testing was 8.9 ± 4.1 km, whilst the mean travel time was 17.8 ± 8.3 min. Builsa South district recorded the longest mean distance (25.6 ± 7.4 km), whilst Bongo district recorded the shortest (3.1 ± 1.9 km). The spatial autocorrelation results showed the health facilities providing blood group and rhesus type POC testing were randomly distributed in the region (Moran Index = 0.29; z-score = 1.37; p = 0.17). Conclusion: This study enabled the identification of district variations in spatial accessibility to blood group and rhesus type POC testing in the region for policy decisions. We urge the health authorities in Ghana to evaluate and implement recommended POC tests such as slide agglutination tests for blood group and rhesus type testing in resource-limited settings.

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