Work

Public Transportation Environment and Medical Choice for Chronic Disease: A Case Study of Gaoyou, China

Year: 2019

Type: article

Abstract: Current research on the built environment and medical choice focuses mainly on the construction and optimization of medical service systems from the perspective of supply. There is a lack of in-depth research on medical choice from the perspective of patient demand. Based on the medical choice behaviour of patients with chronic diseases, this article identifies the spatial distribution and heterogeneity characteristics of medical choice and evaluates the balance between medical supply and demand in each block. On this basis, we explored the mechanism of patient preferences for different levels of medical facilities by considering the patient's socioeconomic background, medical resource evaluation, and other built environment features of the neighbourhood by referring to patient questionnaires. In addition to socioeconomic characteristics, the results show that public transportation convenience, medical accessibility, and medical institution conditions also have significant influences on patient preferences, and the impact on low-income patients is more remarkable. The conclusions of the study provide a reference for the promotion and optimization of the functions of urban medical resources and the guidance of relevant public health policies.

Source: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16091612

Authors: Yang Cao, Feng Zhen, Hao Wu

Institution: Nanjing University

Language: English

Topic: Urban Transport and Accessibility

Subfield: Transportation

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Sustainable cities and communities, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,824