Spatial Statistics: A GIS Methodology to Investigate Point Patterns in Stroke Patient Healthcare

Abstract

Stroke is the leading cause of major disability and the fifth leading cause of death in the United States. Stroke incidence across the U.S. is not uniform where the southeastern states, known as the “Stroke Belt”, have historically higher rates. Importantly, while the national average death rate due to stroke has been declining, the death rate in the Stroke Belt (from 2013 to 2015) increased 4.2% overall and 5.8% within the Hispanic population. Healthcare interventions have been designed to improve acute stroke care, but they are less prevalent in addressing post-acute care needs of stroke survivors. Therefore, this chapter will describe the results of a recent study that investigated patterns in post-stroke care using a sequence of geospatial statistics. Through this investigation, the reader will learn the sequence of Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques appropriate to use when studying complex spatial patterns.