AccessMod 3.0: A Tool for Analyzing Health Care Accessibility
Author Information
Author(s): Ray Nicolas, Steeve Ebener
Primary Institution: World Health Organization
Hypothesis
How can geographic coverage and accessibility to health care services be effectively computed using patient movement data?
Conclusion
AccessMod provides a comprehensive tool for assessing the geographic coverage of health care facilities by integrating population demand and service supply.
Supporting Evidence
- AccessMod integrates travel time, population distribution, and health facility capacities to assess accessibility.
- The tool can model catchment areas based on different transportation scenarios.
- Anisotropic movements are considered to reflect realistic travel conditions in hilly terrains.
Takeaway
AccessMod helps figure out how easy it is for people to get to health care places by looking at where they live and how they travel.
Methodology
AccessMod uses Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to analyze physical accessibility and geographic coverage based on terrain and population data.
Potential Biases
Potential biases may arise from the assumptions about travel behavior and the availability of transportation modes.
Limitations
The model does not explicitly consider financial accessibility and acceptability, which are important dimensions of health care access.
Participant Demographics
The study focuses on populations in developing countries, particularly in rural and urban settings in Malawi.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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