Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Demonstrating Primary Care Needs for a Transitioning Hispanic Community

Abstract

Background: Hispanics are the largest and fastest growing minority group in the United States. Charlotte, NC, had the 4th fastest growing Hispanic community in the nation between 1990 to 2000. Gaining understanding of the patterns of health care use for this changing population is a key step toward designing improved primary care access and community health.Methods: The Multiple Attribute Primary Care Targeting Strategy process was applied to key patientand community-level attributes describing the Charlotte Hispanic community. Maps were created based on socioeconomic status, population density, insurance status, and use of the emergency department as a primary care safety net. Each of these variables was weighed and added to create a single composite map.Results: Individual attribute maps and the composite map identified geographic locations where Hispanic community members would most benefit from increased access to primary care services.Conclusions: Using the Multiple Attribute Primary Care Targeting Strategy process we were able to identify geographic areas within our community where many Hispanic immigrants face barriers to accessing appropriate primary care services. These areas can subsequently be targeted for interventions that improve access to primary care and reduce emergency department use. The geospatial model created through this process can be monitored over time to determine the effectiveness of these interventions. (J Am Board Fam Med 2010;23:109 -120.)

Spatial accessibility of the population to urban health centres in Kermanshah, Islamic Republic of Iran: a geographic information systems analysis

“…Mapping existing health services along with the road networks is used to identify and facilitate patient travel (4). Nowadays, GIS analysis is increasingly applied in health-related fields (13)(14)(15) and has turned into a valuable tool to ensure that vulnerable and underprivileged populations have accessibility to hospitals (16)(17)(18)(19), palliative care centres (20) and primary health-care services (21)(22)(23). Using GIS techniques offers great promise for improving the distribution of health resources, identifying service gaps and allowing policy-makers to better assess potential risk factors and prevent disease especially with regard to at-risk age and sex groups (3).…”

Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to Understand a Community's Primary Care Needs

“…21 We propose that other communities facing similar population changes and/or growing numbers of uninsured patients may consider using this method to identify at-risk geographic areas within their community that would experience the greatest benefit from additional resources. Our approach may be particularly useful for specific subpopulations that are currently underserved by many community health care systems.…”

On Linkages; Using GIS for Administrative Decision-Making in a Local Public Health Setting

“…[2][3][4][5][6] GIS has also become a valuable tool in assuring access to hospitals, 7,8 palliative care, 9 and primary care for vulnerable and underserved populations. [10][11][12] Using GIS as a tool to determine where clinics can be placed to maximize access to care is particularly relevant for primary care services associated with ongoing changes to our health-care system, especially in light of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. 13 Therefore, GIS may serve as a tool to aid decision makers in strategizing clinic placement and managing the forthcoming demand on health-care resources.…”