Assessing the feasibility of GIS multimethod approach to ascertain territorial accessibility to hemodynamics rooms in Spain mainland

Abstract

Between 1981 and 2001 health competencies in Spain passed from the Central Government to the Autonomous Communities (AC). Those issues conducted to a not heterogeneous health services in continental Spain. This is undoubtedly aggravated high-tech health equipment provision, as in the case of hemodynamics rooms that perform primary balloon percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), used to deal with acute myocardial infarction. In this regard, the present study aims to assess the territorial accessibility to these rooms of the potential population that may suffer an acute myocardial infarction, in each Spanish municipality, on continental Spain.The study has used a large amount of methodologies and research tools, related to accessibility based on Geographic information Systems (GIS). Among the used methods, should be highlighted the spatial interaction model. This particular method has been based on the three-step floating catchment area (method-3SFCA). Nevertheless, the authors have developed a specific methodology, increasing the mentioned method, with the goal to assess, in a more accurate way, the spatial distribution of the hemodynamics rooms, and the impacts this distribution might have on people's life quality.The results obtained by means of thematic maps allowed us to identify the municipalities with greater and less health equipment provision, the differences in health coverage between Autonomous Communities, and the municipalities where this health coverage is going to increase, if patients could be moved to other Autonomous Communities. The developed analysis enabled us to present a detailed view of the problem identifying the regions where it must be improved in order to achieve a more equitable access to the high-tech health (HTH) services, presenting a framework which indicator how these dispersions may be overcome.