Spatial models of access to health and care services in rural and remote Canada: a scoping review protocol

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this review is to determine the scope of spatial modelling approaches used to evaluate geographic access to health and care services in rural Canada. Introduction: Canada’s health and social policy agenda has made the requirement for equal access to primary and secondary health services for rural populations a key priority. Most rural health research in Canada has focused on measuring patterns of health outcomes or modelling geographic access to a narrow range of services, health conditions, or within specific regions. This scoping review will provide an in depth look at the spatial modelling currently being used to evaluate the barriers and facilitators for access to health and care services and will provide direction for further research. Inclusion criteria: This review will consider studies that include any person accessing health and care services in Canada, focusing on those who reside in rural or remote communities, or access health services in those areas. Methods: Published primary studies, reviews, opinion papers, reports, theses, and dissertations published in English or French across all dates will be searched in databases including CINAHL via EBSCO, PubMed, ProQuest, Scopus, Web of Science and Dissertations and Theses Global. Following the search, all titles and abstracts will then be assessed against the inclusion criteria for the review. Potentially relevant papers will be assessed in detail against the inclusion criteria. The data extracted will include geographic location, service under study, analytic methodology, data included, and specifics of the spatial models employed.