Towards healthcare access equality : Understanding spatial accessibility to healthcare services for wheelchair users
(2024) In Computers, Environment and Urban Systems 108.- Abstract
Considering that the number of wheelchair users is on the rise at the global level due to population aging, it is crucial to secure their rights to have adequate access to healthcare services. Spatial accessibility to healthcare services has been well recognized to influence people's health. However, research on healthcare accessibility of wheelchair users is scarce. This study proposes a barrier-free path planning method to estimate wheelchair users' travel time as the measurement of their accessibility. A study on Wuhan, China, is conducted to evaluate the spatial accessibility to healthcare services for wheelchair users and compare it with the general population. The results show that: (1) the levels of healthcare accessibility are... (More)
Considering that the number of wheelchair users is on the rise at the global level due to population aging, it is crucial to secure their rights to have adequate access to healthcare services. Spatial accessibility to healthcare services has been well recognized to influence people's health. However, research on healthcare accessibility of wheelchair users is scarce. This study proposes a barrier-free path planning method to estimate wheelchair users' travel time as the measurement of their accessibility. A study on Wuhan, China, is conducted to evaluate the spatial accessibility to healthcare services for wheelchair users and compare it with the general population. The results show that: (1) the levels of healthcare accessibility are unevenly distributed across the city center and the periphery of the study area for both wheelchair users and the general population, while wheelchair users have lower accessibility overall; (2) both similarities and differences in hospital and travel mode selection to access healthcare services co-exist in the study area between the two groups; (3) significant inequality in healthcare accessibility is observed in Hongshan and Qingshan districts. The research findings are beneficial for policymakers to further improve healthcare accessibility and its equality by optimizing the allocation of hospital resources and barrier-free public transport.
(Less)
- author
- Chen, Kun ; Zhao, Pengxiang LU ; Qin, Kun ; Kwan, Mei Po and Wang, Niman
- organization
- publishing date
- 2024
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Barrier-free path planning, Equality, Healthcare services, Public transport, Spatial accessibility, Wheelchair users
- in
- Computers, Environment and Urban Systems
- volume
- 108
- article number
- 102069
- publisher
- Elsevier
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85180567229
- ISSN
- 0198-9715
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.compenvurbsys.2023.102069
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- c069c721-7d0e-4c16-b21c-6915fb6c7209
- date added to LUP
- 2024-02-12 11:15:22
- date last changed
- 2024-02-12 11:16:25
@article{c069c721-7d0e-4c16-b21c-6915fb6c7209,
abstract = {{<p>Considering that the number of wheelchair users is on the rise at the global level due to population aging, it is crucial to secure their rights to have adequate access to healthcare services. Spatial accessibility to healthcare services has been well recognized to influence people's health. However, research on healthcare accessibility of wheelchair users is scarce. This study proposes a barrier-free path planning method to estimate wheelchair users' travel time as the measurement of their accessibility. A study on Wuhan, China, is conducted to evaluate the spatial accessibility to healthcare services for wheelchair users and compare it with the general population. The results show that: (1) the levels of healthcare accessibility are unevenly distributed across the city center and the periphery of the study area for both wheelchair users and the general population, while wheelchair users have lower accessibility overall; (2) both similarities and differences in hospital and travel mode selection to access healthcare services co-exist in the study area between the two groups; (3) significant inequality in healthcare accessibility is observed in Hongshan and Qingshan districts. The research findings are beneficial for policymakers to further improve healthcare accessibility and its equality by optimizing the allocation of hospital resources and barrier-free public transport.</p>}},
author = {{Chen, Kun and Zhao, Pengxiang and Qin, Kun and Kwan, Mei Po and Wang, Niman}},
issn = {{0198-9715}},
keywords = {{Barrier-free path planning; Equality; Healthcare services; Public transport; Spatial accessibility; Wheelchair users}},
language = {{eng}},
publisher = {{Elsevier}},
series = {{Computers, Environment and Urban Systems}},
title = {{Towards healthcare access equality : Understanding spatial accessibility to healthcare services for wheelchair users}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compenvurbsys.2023.102069}},
doi = {{10.1016/j.compenvurbsys.2023.102069}},
volume = {{108}},
year = {{2024}},
}