Access to Emergency Medical Services: An Urban Planning Methodology for the Generation of Equity

Juan Holguin,Carlos Moncada,Diego Escobar

doi:10.5539/gjhs.v10n6p181

Abstract

The access and possibility of rapid response to medical emergencies is an issue that, in last decades, has been studied in many areas of research such as urban planning and transportation, as well as with the issue of equity in the provision of this healthcare service. This is true, in particular for middle- and low-income countries subject to non-equitative access to services such as medical emergency attention. In this study, a medical emergency database review is carried out in order to propose a new methodology to assess the coverage of Ambulance Dispatches and Emergency Service Facilities. This is executed using primary information relating to medical emergencies that occurred in the city of Manizales between 2010 and 2015 and secondary data relating to socio-demographic and economic conditions, analyzing their correlation using a GIS (Geographic Information System) application. This research article proposes a methodology for improving the population coverage of Ambulance Dispatches and Emergency Service Facilities, trying to reduce health inequity in terms of assistance to medical emergencies. Our results show that in order to reduce social and health inequity, the city of Manizales needs to improve its provision of emergency care attention, based on urban planning tools especially in low-income neighborhoods.

Highlights

The access and possibility of rapid response to medical emergencies is an issue that, in last decades, has been studied in many areas of research such as urban planning and transportation, as well as with the issue of equity in the provision of this healthcare service (Marmot, Allen, Bell, & Goldblatt, 2012)
3.1 Colombia and Manizales: Inequality in the Geographical Distribution of Emergency Service Facilities (ESF) Law 100 of 1993 established that the Colombian health system is based on insurance companies known as EPS and health care facilities called IPS
The system sought equity by prompting enhanced coverage and use of healthcare facilities by dividing the population into two main categories of subsidized users and those who contribute to the system

Summary

Introduction

The access and possibility of rapid response to medical emergencies is an issue that, in last decades, has been studied in many areas of research such as urban planning and transportation, as well as with the issue of equity in the provision of this healthcare service (Marmot, Allen, Bell, & Goldblatt, 2012). 2. Method The main target of this methodology is to identify urban areas in Manizales with deficiencies in emergency attention between AD and events, and between events and ESF locations, in terms of travel time. Method The main target of this methodology is to identify urban areas in Manizales with deficiencies in emergency attention between AD and events, and between events and ESF locations, in terms of travel time This is implemented through the development of five consecutive stages shown in Figure 2 with their description enunciated below. Spatial variables could be defined as shown in Equation (2); the values for forecasting (average travel time) depend on observable causal factors (e.g., physical and operating characteristics of the road network, facility type). The accessibility analysis leads to the final step, which is to identify the location of AD to fulfill the requirements of time in an identified great zone

Colombia and Manizales

Life-Threatening Emergencies and Fatalities in Emergency Events

Conclusion

Part 1: Executive Summary