Assistance Gaps in Physical Rehabilitation: Spatial Analysis of Physical Therapy Services and Users’ Households in a Brazilian Capital

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the spatial distribution of outpatient physical therapy rehabilitation services and associate it with the geographic location of users’ households. Methods: The public physical therapy rehabilitation services and addresses of users’ households in Campo Grande (MS) were georeferenced in 2017-2019. Results: Five physical therapy clinics were identified to supply the demand of 31,774 scheduled users. Most services are in the most central regions of the city, while most users reside in peripheral areas. Conclusion: An assistance gap in Physical therapy care was identified, with a restricted supply of services to meet demands and a geographic barrier, since the services are far from the users’ households. Physical rehabilitation must be a priority in the country’s public health, especially nowadays, where demands for rehabilitation of a significant number of Brazilians who evolved with sequelae of COVID-19 are so present.