Spatial Accessibility Assessment of Prehospital EMS with a Focus on the Elderly Population: A Case Study in Ningbo, China

Huanhuan Zhu, Lin Pan, Yiji Li, Huiming Jin, Qian Wang, Xin Liu, Cong Wang, Peng Liao, Xinyang Jiang and Luo Li
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Huanhuan Zhu: School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Lin Pan: School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Yiji Li: Ningbo Medical Emergency Center, Ningbo 315000, China
Huiming Jin: Ningbo Medical Emergency Center, Ningbo 315000, China
Qian Wang: School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Xin Liu: School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Cong Wang: School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Peng Liao: School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Xinyang Jiang: School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Luo Li: School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 19, 1-17

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: prehospital emergency medical services (EMS); spatial accessibility; the elderly; gravity model; empirical Bayesian Kriging (EBK) interpolation analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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