Accurate Analysis of The Distribution of Medical Imaging Technologies: The Case of Türkiye

Abstract

The distribution of medical diagnostic imaging technologies (MDIT) between the regions of Türkiye were analyzed through hierarchical clustering of the capacity and use (CAU) variables. Statistics yearbooks’ data of the Ministry of Health for the years 2013 and 2018 were used. Analyses were performed on the entire CAU data and its six subsets generated according to the characteristics of MDIT. The dissimilarities of the clusters were measured by Euclidean distance between z-score standardized data points. The experiments showed that analyzing the CAU variables together may lead to the formation of the clusters that do not reflect reality and therefore to make erroneous judgments. To ensure more accurate and detailed analysis, they should be analyzed on a per-device basis. This study also showed that 12 Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS) regions of the country could be clustered within 3 to 5 groups. According to our analysis method, with some negligible exceptions, it is seen that Turkey is in a very good position in ensuring the equity in access to the health services, in terms of MDIT distribution.