Assessment of healthcare accessibility in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area

Jiang，Xin1; Wei，Wencheng2; Zeng，Lihua3; Ma，Li3; Liu，Xiaoming3; Zou，Junyu1; Zeng，Zhenzhong1

2023-06-01

10.1016/j.horiz.2023.100057

Sustainable Horizons   Impact Factor & Quartile

2772-7378

Hospitals play a crucial role in promoting public health and well-being, but their distribution and accessibility can significantly affect healthcare outcomes. The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA) boasts an abundance of healthcare resources; however, access to these facilities can be challenging due to population clustering and inadequate resource allocation. Unfortunately, quantifying residents' access to healthcare is complicated by the lack of a centralized database and complex transportation systems. To address these limitations, we developed a comprehensive healthcare facility dataset comprising 54,902 sites, utilizing internet maps' precise location services. Furthermore, we developed a novel framework for real-time driving-based path planning that integrates facility geographic coordinates and population density data. Our analysis revealed that 6.7% (4.8 million people) could not reach a healthcare facility within 30 min. Even after accounting for rural clinic facilities, 2.5% (1.8 million people) remained unable to access healthcare, mainly in peripheral cities. Finally, we simulated a scenario in which 12 new hospitals were added to demonstrate the effectiveness of reasonable hospital placement in improving healthcare accessibility. By investigating GBA's experience, we can derive best practices, pinpoint areas for improvement, and inform policy development aimed at enhancing healthcare accessibility for all residents. Our findings can serve as a blueprint for other provinces in China and provide insights into healthcare accessibility and resource allocation strategies for other nations with similar hierarchical healthcare systems.

Accessibility Geographic coordinates Healthcare facilities Real-time driving-based path planning

English

First ; Corresponding

Southern University of Science and Technology[29/Y01296122];National Natural Science Foundation of China[42071022];

2-s2.0-85165121439

Scopus

1.School of Environmental Science and Engineering,Southern University of Science and Technology,Shenzhen,518055,China
2.Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery,Shenzhen University General Hospital,Shenzhen,518067,China
3.Department of Dermatology,The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital,Shenzhen,518053,China

Jiang，Xin,Wei，Wencheng,Zeng，Lihua,et al. Assessment of healthcare accessibility in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area[J]. Sustainable Horizons,2023,6.

Jiang，Xin.,Wei，Wencheng.,Zeng，Lihua.,Ma，Li.,Liu，Xiaoming.,...&Zeng，Zhenzhong.(2023).Assessment of healthcare accessibility in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.Sustainable Horizons,6.

Jiang，Xin,et al."Assessment of healthcare accessibility in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area".Sustainable Horizons 6(2023).