Effect of centralization on geographic accessibility of maternity hospitals in Finland
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Published:2020-04-21
Issue:1
Volume:20
Page:
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ISSN:1472-6963
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Container-title:BMC Health Services Research
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language:en
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Short-container-title:BMC Health Serv Res
Author:
Huotari Tiina,Rusanen Jarmo,Keistinen Timo,Lähderanta Tero,Ruha Leena,Sillanpää Mikko J.,Antikainen Harri
Abstract
Abstract
Background
In the past two decades, the number of maternity hospitals in Finland has been reduced from 42 to 22. Notwithstanding the benefits of centralization for larger units in terms of increased safety, the closures will inevitably impair geographical accessibility of services.
Methods
This study aimed to employ a set of location-allocation methods to assess the potential impact on accessibility, should the number of maternity hospitals be reduced from 22 to 16. Accurate population grid data combined with road network and hospital facilities data is analyzed with three different location-allocation methods: straight, sequential and capacitated p-median.
Results
Depending on the method used to assess the impact of further reduction in the number of maternity hospitals, 0.6 to 2.7% of mothers would have more than a two-hour travel time to the nearest maternity hospital, while the corresponding figure is 0.5 in the current situation. The analyses highlight the areas where the number of births is low, but a maternity hospital is still important in terms of accessibility, and the areas where even one unit would be enough to take care of a considerable volume of births.
Conclusions
Even if the reduction in the number of hospitals might not drastically harm accessibility at the level of the entire population, considerable changes in accessibility can occur for clients living close to a maternity hospital facing closure. As different location-allocation analyses can result in different configurations of hospitals, decision-makers should be aware of their differences to ensure adequate accessibility for clients, especially in remote, sparsely populated areas.
Funder
Sosiaali- ja Terveysministeriö
Tutkijakoulu, Oulun Yliopiston
Strategic Research Council
Tauno Tönningin Säätiö
Jane ja Aatos Erkon Säätiö
Teknologiateollisuuden 100-Vuotisjuhlasäätiö
Academy of Finland
Terveyden Tutkimuksen Toimikunta
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
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