GIS-based studies of healthcare access very often focus on distance and the physical difficulty of getting to a particular location. However, healthcare use depends on much more than distance and this exercise explores some of the other influences on healthcare uptake.<\/p>\n
GIS is often used to measure potential accessibility<\/strong> \u2013 the potential for a given health facility to be reached by the surrounding population. Typically, this involves measuring distances or drive-times to the nearest facility and assuming that those within a given threshold value have adequate access to healthcare. Gulliford et al (2002) refer to this as \u2018having access\u2019 to healthcare. Less often, GIS is used to measure revealed accessibility<\/strong> \u2013 the actual patterns of health facility use within a given population. Gulliford et al (2002) refer to this as \u2018gaining access\u2019 to healthcare.<\/p>\n The size of population \u2018gaining access\u2019 to healthcare is typically smaller than those \u2018having access\u2019 to healthcare. This is because actual health use depends on much more than geographical distances alone. Gulliford et al (2002) describe four types of barrier to \u2018gaining access\u2019:<\/p>\n Physical accessibility might be described as a spatial explanation for healthcare access (since it focuses on the geography of populations and healthcare facilities). Financial, organisational and socio-cultural accessibility might together be described as a social explanation for healthcare access. Whilst GIS-based studies of revealed accessibility can identify all four types of barrier to healthcare access, studies of potential accessibility \u2013 which form the majority of GIS-based studies (Higgs, 2004) – generally focus on the physical accessibility component of healthcare access at the expense of the other three barrier types.<\/p>\n It is thus important for the GIS analyst to be aware of these other dimensions to healthcare access, which are often more difficult to measure and therefore missing from GIS-based work. \n Read the Gulliford article below and then choose a specific example of an individual or group wishing to seek healthcare. Post a message to the course discussion board, briefly describing the main barriers to accessibility for this individual or group. Indicate whether the main barriers are physical, financial, socio-cultural, or organisational.<\/p>\n Ideally, choose a healthcare access example of particular interest to you. However, if you are unsure where to start, begin with one of our suggested readings below.\n<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \n * Guilford, M., Figueroa-Munoz, J., Morgan, M., Hughes, D., Gibson, B., Beech, R., and Hudson, M. (2002) What does \u2018access to health care\u2019 mean? Journal of Health Services Research & Policy<\/em> 7 (3), 186\u2013188.<\/p>\n Higgs, G. (2004) A Literature Review of the Use of GIS-Based Measures of Access to Health Care Services. Health Services & Outcomes Research Methodology<\/em> 5, 119\u2013139.<\/p>\n If you cannot think of a particular example for the activity above, try reading one of these articles first:<\/p>\n Ahmed, S. M., Lemkau, J. P., Nealeigh, N., and Mann, B. (2001) Barriers to healthcare access in a non-elderly urban poor American population. Health and Social Care in the Community<\/em> 9 (6), 445\u2013453.<\/p>\n\n
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\nReferences (Essential reading for this learning object indicated by *)<\/h4>\n<\/p>\n