Geographical accessibility to primary health care in Finland – Grid-based multimodal assessment

Geographic accessibility of health services is one of the key dimensions affecting health care access, utilisation and may impact population health. The authors analysed countrywide space-time accessibility to primary health services by private car and multimodal walk-ride-walk travel chains of public transport in Finland. The analysis utilises register-based population grid cell data at 250m × 250 m resolution, road network with scheduled public transport data and geocoded locations of four types of primary health service. The results show that the Finnish population reaches primary health services well, also by public transport, which is most beneficial in urban fringes, where health services are not immediately available. However, accessibility of services may be limited for some segments of the population, such as carless households located in remote areas, and teenagers who access health services independently. Distinct regional differences exist in accessibility, particularly in rural areas. The continuous pressure to reduce the number of service facilities may further deter service accessibility of these segments of the population. As this kind of transport disadvantage may create or reinforce social disadvantage and exclusion, as well as health inequalities, ensuring an equal access to primary health services is important.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeog.2021.102583
• Record URL:
  http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0143622821001995
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/01436228
• Supplemental Notes:
  • © 2021 Ossi Kotavaara et al.
• Authors:
  • Kotavaara, Ossi
  • 0000-0002-8466-4394
  • Nivala, Aleksi
  • Lankila, Tiina
  • 0000-0002-2448-9643
  • Huotari, Tiina
  • Delmelle, Eric
  • Antikainen, Harri

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; Maps; References; Tables;
• Serial:
  • Applied Geography
  • Volume: 136
  • Issue Number: 0
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0143-6228
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/01436228

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Accessibility; Automobile travel; Equity; Health care services; Multimodal transportation; Public transit
• Geographic Terms: Finland
• Subject Areas: Highways; Passenger Transportation; Planning and Forecasting; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01787932
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Nov 12 2021 5:23PM