VIRTUAL: Livable Cities – New York

Abstract

As urbanization in China continues to accelerate, cities are experiencing problems related to limited medical resources due to rapid population growth, rapid urban expansion, and an unhealthy development of the healthcare delivery system. In order to address this issue, the Luohu District developed the Luohu Hospital Group, an integrated medical system that connects all public hospitals and community healthcare service centers (CHSCs). Despite the importance of understanding the spatial accessibility and connectivity of the Luohu Hospital Group for the provision of healthcare services , little research has been done in this area. To address this gap, this study analyzed the accessibility of the system, both within and outside of it, using two steps: first, estimating the travel time for each journey using actual transport modes, such as primarily walking, biking, driving, and public transportation; second, calculating the accessibility of the supply-demand ratio for each resident centroid using an enhanced Gaussian Two-Step Floating Catchment Area method. The results of the study show that different travel methods can produce different results and that the healthcare accessibility in the Luohu District is generally good, with a strong spatial connection within the system and good coverage of primary healthcare facilities. However, the study also identified some small areas of inaccessibility within the district. The findings of this research provide insight into the characteristics of healthcare service accessibility in urbanizing areas and can serve as a useful example for other fast-urbanizing cities seeking to optimize the spatial structure of their healthcare resources.