How do administrative borders affect accessibility to hospitals? The case of Sweden. (17th April 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Meng, Xiangli; Carling, Kenneth; Håkansson, Johan; Rebreyend, Pascal
• Is Part Of: International journal of health planning and management. Volume 33:Number 3(2018)
• Page Start: e696
• Page End: e710
• Publication Date: 2018-04-17
• Subjects: administrative barriers -- optimal location -- population dynamics -- public service -- travel time; Health planning -- Periodicals; Health services administration -- Periodicals; Santé publique -- Planification -- Périodiques; Santé, Services de -- Administration -- Périodiques; 362.1068
• DOI: 10.1002/hpm.2520
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0749-6753

Abstract

Summary: An administrative border might hinder the optimal allocation of a given set of resources by restricting the flow of goods, services, and people. In this paper, we address the question: Do administrative borders lead to poor accessibility to public service? In answering the question, we have examined the case of Sweden and its regional administrative borders and hospital accessibility. We have used detailed data on the Swedish road network, its hospitals, and its geo‐coded population. We have assessed the population's spatial accessibility to Swedish hospitals by computing the inhabitants' distance to the nearest hospital. We have also elaborated several scenarios ranging from strongly confining regional borders to no confinements of borders and recomputed the accessibility. Our findings imply that administrative borders are only marginally worsening the accessibility.