Access to dialysis services: A systematic mapping review based on geographical information systems

Abstract

Equitable access to healthcare services constitutes one of the leading priorities of healthcare provision and access to dialysis services (ADS) has an essential impact on patients depending on renal dialysis. The many existing GIS-based ADS evaluations include various spatial and non-spatial factors affecting ADS. We systematically mapped and reviewed the available literature with reference to this area identifying gaps in current GIS-based ADS measurements and developing recommendations for future studies. A threestep, systematic mapping review of the available GIS-related evidence in PubMed, Embase, Web of science, Scopus, Science Direct and IEEE Xplore was performed in May 2016 and the information collected updated October 2017 by two independent selection processes. The quality of the studies was assessed using an informal, mixed-approach scoring system. Out of 1119 literature references identified, 36 were identified and used for final review after removal of duplicates, study screenings and applying inclusion/exclusion criteria. Given the contents of the selected studies, three study groups were identified and 41 factors with potential effects on ADS determined. These studies mainly addressed the potential and/or spatial aspects of ADS. Our systematic mapping review of the evidence revealed that current GIS-based measures of ADS tend to calculate potential ADS instead of a realized one. It was also noted that listed factors affecting ADS were mainly nonspatial bringing forth the hypothesis that designing an integrated ADS index could possibly produce better ADS score than those currently advocated. Some primary and secondary research suggestions are made and a list of recommendations offered.

Spatio-temporal mapping of breast and prostate cancers in South Iran from 2014-2017

“…Previous studies highlight that poor access to health care services lead to poor health outcomes (54,55), such as increased incidence of cancer (27,56). The high incidence of gender-speci c cancers in some regions of the study area may be due to their considerable distance from the provincial capital with limited cancer screening programmes.…”

“…On the other hand, parts of the study area in the South had the lowest incidence of both cancers investigated here although they were located even further away from the provincial capital. However, proximity to health care services does not directly translate into access because of potential factors such as poor socio-economic status and low level of education that also is associated with poor access (54). GIS enable researchers to assess the revealed access to cancer services through combing spatial and non-spatial factors (55,57,58) and the results suggest measuring access to cancer prevention programmes should be the rst step of examining this hypothesis.…”

Spatio-temporal Mapping of Breast and Prostate Cancer in South Iran During 2014-2017

“…On the other hand, parts of the study area in the South had the lowest incidence of both breast and prostate cancers, although they were located even further away from the provincial capital. However, proximity to health care services does not directly translate into access because of potential factors such as poor socio-economic status and low level of education that could be associated with poor access (54). GIS enable researchers to assess the revealed access to cancer services through combing spatial and non-spatial factors (55,57,58) and the results suggest measuring access to cancer prevention programmes in the study area as the rst step of examining this hypothesis.…”

Paediatric, pedestrian road traffic injuries in the city of Mashhad in north-eastern Iran 2015–2019: a data note

“…Geographic Information System (GIS) is a tool that supports spatial analysis and, more specifically, point pattern analysis [ 6 ]. GIS data have two dimensions; spatial and non-spatial [ 7 ].…”