Measuring spatial accessibility to primary care in rural areas: Improving the effectiveness of the two-step floating catchment area method |
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| Authors: | Matthew R McGrail John S Humphreys |
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| Institution: | aMonash University, Department of Rural and Indigenous Health, PO Box 973, Moe, Victoria 3825, Australia;bMonash University, Gippsland Medical School, Northways Road, Churchill, Victoria 3842, Australia;cMonash University, School of Rural Health, PO Box 666, Bendigo Central, Victoria 3552, Australia |
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| Abstract: | Quantifying spatial accessibility in relation to the provision of rural health services has proven difficult. This article critically appraises the two-step floating catchment area (2SFCA) method, a recent solution for measuring primary care service accessibility across rural areas of Victoria, Australia. The 2SFCA method is demonstrated to have two fundamental shortcomings – specifically the use of only one catchment size for all populations, and secondly the assumption that proximity is undifferentiated within a catchment (especially problematic when the catchment is large). Despite its advantages over simple population-to-provider ratios, the 2SFCA method needs to be used with caution. |
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| Keywords: | Spatial accessibility Rural health Primary care Service catchment Medical geography |
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