Spatial Accessibility Assessment of Prehospital EMS with a Focus on the Elderly Population: A Case Study in Ningbo, China.
Int J Environ Res Public Health
; 18(19)2021 09 22.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1463628
ABSTRACT
The spatial accessibility of prehospital EMS is particularly important for the elderly population's physiological functions. Due to the recent expansion of aging populations all over the globe, elderly people's spatial accessibility to prehospital EMS presents a serious challenge. An efficient strategy to address this issue involves using geographic information systems (GIS)-based tools to evaluate the spatial accessibility in conjunction with the spatial distribution of aging people, available road networks, and prehospital EMS facilities. This study employed gravity model and empirical Bayesian Kriging (EBK) interpolation analysis to evaluate the elderly's spatial access to prehospital EMS in Ningbo, China. In our study, we aimed to solve the following specific research questions In the study area, "what are the characteristics of the prehospital EMS demand of the elderly?" "Do the elderly have equal and convenient spatial access to prehospital EMS?" and "How can we satisfy the prehospital EMS demand of an aging population, improve their spatial access to prehospital EMS, and then ensure their quality of life?" The results showed that 37.44% of patients admitted to prehospital EMS in 2020 were 65 years and older. The rate of utilization of ambulance services by the elderly was 27.39 per 1000 elderly residents. Ambulance use by the elderly was the highest in the winter months and the lowest in the spring months (25.90% vs. 22.38%). As for the disease spectrum, the main disease was found to be trauma and intoxication (23.70%). The mean accessibility score was only 1.43 and nearly 70% of demand points had scored lower than 1. The elderly's spatial accessibility to prehospital EMS had a central-outward gradient decreasing trend from the central region to the southeast and southwest of the study area. Our proposed methodology and its spatial equilibrium results could be taken as a benchmark of prehospital care capacity and help inform authorities' efforts to develop efficient, aging-focused spatial accessibility plans.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Quality of Life
/
Emergency Medical Services
Type of study:
Case report
/
Experimental Studies
/
Prognostic study
Limits:
Aged
/
Humans
Country/Region as subject:
Asia
Language:
English
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Ijerph18199964
Similar
MEDLINE
...
LILACS
LIS