Spatial Allocation Rationality Analysis of Medical Resources Based on Multi-Source Data: Case Study of Taiyuan, China

Abstract

Reasonably allocating medical resources can effsectively optimize the utilization efficiency of such resources. This paper took Taiyuan City as an example and established a model to evaluate the rationality of medical resource spatial allocation, incorporating two key dimensions: the spatial layout and the supply and demand of medical resources. In terms of the spatial layout, three indexes were included: Firstly, the service coverage rates of different levels of medical institutions, based on residents’ medical orientations, were calculated using network analysis methods. Secondly, the Huff-2SFCA method was improved to calculate the accessibility of medical resources for four different modes of transportation. Then, the Health Resource Agglomeration Degree (HRAD) and Population Agglomeration Degree (PAD) were used to quantify the equity of medical resources. In terms of the supply and demand of medical resources, one index was included: the supply–demand ratio of medical resources during sudden public health events, which was calculated using the number of beds per thousand people as an indicator. These four indexes were weighted using the entropy weight method to obtain the rationality grade of medical resource spatial allocation in Taiyuan City. The study found that the rationality evaluation level of medical resource allocation in the central urban area of Taiyuan City followed a “concentrically decreasing” pattern. The rating ranged from “very reasonable” to “less reasonable”, with the area of each level expanding gradually. The areas rated within the top two categories only accounted for 19.92% of the study area, while the area rated as “less reasonable” occupied 38.73% of the total area. These results indicate that the model accounted for residents’ travel for various medical orientations and the availability of resources during public health emergencies. It considered both the spatial layout and supply and demand of medical resources, offering recommendations for the precise allocation of urban medical resources.