ABSTRACT
This article reports research testing an alternative methodology for patient origin studies that uses hospital deaths as a proxy measure for all discharges from a selected group of urban tertiary hospitals. Results indicated that mortality data from vital statistics records provide a reasonable approximation of patient travel patterns to acute care hospitals. Hospital service area indexes constructed from mortality statistics accurately predicted, on an aggregate regional basis, the results of a conventional patient origin study based on all hospital discharges. Hospital service areas, an important element of locational analysis in health planning, can be identified with the suggested methodology for states and areas lacking statewide uniform hospital discharge systems. A number of caveats are suggested for applying this methodology and interpreting its results.
Subject(s)
Catchment Area, Health , Hospitals , Mortality , Humans , Michigan , Patient Discharge , Statistics as Topic/methods , Urban PopulationABSTRACT
A method for identifying viable health service areas for a state is described. A computer program was developed that evaluates combinations of contiguous counties using a set of 56 variables strategic to the construction of health planning areas and the spatial context of health care delivery, in keeping with the structural requirements of the National Health Planning and Resources Development Act of 1974. The objective of the evaluation is to minimize differences among planning regions and between planning regions and the state.