Spatial Accessibility
2023-7-31
Evaluation of Supply–Demand Matching of Public Health Resources Based on Ga2SFCA: A Case Study of the Central Urban Area of Tianjin
This paper evaluated supply-demand matching of medical, natural, and physical public health resources in central urban Tianjin, China using the Gaussian-based 2SFCA method and proposed strategies to improve insufficient supply in marginal areas.
Abstract:
Determining whether the supply–demand matching (SDM) of urban public health resources is reasonable involves important issues such as health security and the rational use of resources. Using the central urban area of Tianjin as the research area, this paper used the Gaussian-based 2-step floating catchment area method (Ga2SFCA), combined with multi-source data, and comprehensively considered public medical, natural, and physical resources to evaluate the SDM of single-category and integrated public health resources in the research area. The results showed the following: (1) there was a good fit between supply and demand for public medical and natural health resources in Tianjin’s central urban area. For public physical health resources, there was a poor fit between supply and demand; the population in the supply insufficient and scarce areas for 82.78% of the total and was mainly distributed in the marginal areas of the four districts around the city and the six districts of the inner city. (2) For integrated public health resources, the degree of SDM was generally good. It had a circular structure that gradually shrank from the core to the edge. In order to promote the supply–demand balance of urban public health resources, this paper proposed three strategies involving three aspects: the supply, accessibility, and demand of urban public health resources. These strategies involve the service supply level, urban traffic network and slow traffic, development intensity, and population scale.
Summary:
- Evaluated supply-demand matching (SDM) of public health resources in central urban area of Tianjin, China
- Classified public health resources into medical, natural, and physical categories
- Used residential quarters as demand points and multi-source data on supply capacity
- Applied Gaussian-based 2-step floating catchment area (Ga2SFCA) method
- Found good SDM for medical and natural but poor for physical resources
- Physical resources had insufficient supply in 82.78% of area, mostly in marginal districts
- SDM of integrated resources was generally good, decreasing from core to edge
- Proposed strategies to improve SDM involving supply, accessibility, and demand
Study questions and answers:
| Study Questions | Sample Answers |
|---|---|
| What was the study location? | Central urban area of Tianjin, China. |
| How were public health resources classified? | Medical, natural, and physical categories. |
| What were the demand points? | Residential quarters. |
| What method assessed SDM? | Gaussian-based 2SFCA method. |
| Which resource category had poor SDM? | Physical health resources. |
| Where was supply insufficient? | Marginal districts of the study area. |
| What was proposed to improve SDM? | Strategies involving supply, accessibility, and demand factors. |
DOI: 10.3390/ijgi12040156