Geographic information system analysis on the distribution of patients visiting the periodontology department at a dental college hospital

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to analyze and visualize the distribution of patients visiting the periodontology department at a dental college hospital, using a geographic information system (GIS) to utilize these data in patient care and treatment planning, which may help to assess the risk and prevent periodontal diseases. METHODS: Basic patient information data were obtained from Dankook University Dental Hospital, including the unit number, gender, date of birth, and address, down to the dong (neighborhood) administrative district unit, of 306,656 patients who visited the hospital between 2007 and 2014. The data of only 26,457 patients who visited the periodontology department were included in this analysis. The patient distribution was visualized using GIS. Statistical analyses including multiple regression, logistic regression, and geographically weighted regression were performed using SAS 9.3 and ArcGIS 10.1. Five factors, namely proximity, accessibility, age, gender, and socioeconomic status, were investigated as the explanatory variables of the patient distribution. RESULTS: The visualized patient data showed a nationwide scale of the patient distribution. The mean distance from each patient's regional center to the hospital was 30.94±29.62 km and was inversely proportional to the number of patients from the respective regions. The distance from a regional center to the adjacent toll gate had various effects depending on the local distance from the hospital. The average age of the patients was 52.41±12.97 years. Further, a majority of regions showed a male dominance. Personal income had inconsistent results between analyses. CONCLUSIONS: The distribution of patients is significantly affected by the proximity, accessibility, age, gender and socioeconomic status of patients, and the patients visiting the periodontology department travelled farther distances than those visiting the other departments. The underlying reason for this needs to be analyzed further.

Geographic information system (GIS) analysis on the distribution of patients visiting at a dental college hospital: a pilot study

PURPOSE: The aims of this study are to analyze and to visualize distribution of patients visiting at a dental college hospital, using geographic information system (GIS). The visualized data can be utilized in patient care and treatment planning, ultimately leading to the assessment of risk evaluation and prevention of dental diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patient information data was obtained from Dankook University Dental Hospital including the unit number, gender, date of birth, and address from 2007 to 2014. Patient distribution was visualized using GIS. Statistical analyses were performed using SAS 9.3 and ArcGIS 10.1. Five factors including proximity, accessibility, age, gender, and socioeconomic status were investigated as the explanatory variables of the patient distribution. RESULTS: The visualized patient data showed a nationwide scale of the patient distribution. There was a little difference in characteristics for each department. As closer at Dankook University Dental Hospital, visitors increased. And it strongly showed that elderly patients in rural areas tend to visit more. CONCLUSION: The distribution of patients has been shown to be significantly affected by the proximity, accessibility, age, gender and socioeconomic status. The underlying reason remains to be further studied.