TY - JOUR
T1 - Temporal changes in geographic disparities in access to emergency heart attack and stroke care
T2 - Are we any better today?
AU - Busingye, Doreen
AU - Pedigo, Ashley
AU - Odoi, Agricola
PY - 2011/12
Y1 - 2011/12
N2 - The objective of this study was to investigate temporal changes in geographic access to emergency heart attack and stroke care. Network analysis was used to compute travel time to the nearest emergency room (ER), cardiac, and stroke centers in Middle Tennessee. Populations within 30, 60, and 90. min driving time to the nearest ER, cardiac and stroke centers were identified. There were improvements in timely access to cardiac and stroke centers over the study period (1999-2010). There were significant (p< 0.0001) increases in the proportion of the population with access to cardiac centers within 30. min from 29.4% (1999) to 62.4% (2009) while that for stroke changed from 5.4% (2004) to 46.1% (2010). Most (96%) of the population had access to an ER within 30. min from 1999 to 2010. Access to care has improved in the last decade but more still needs to be done to address disparities in rural communities.
AB - The objective of this study was to investigate temporal changes in geographic access to emergency heart attack and stroke care. Network analysis was used to compute travel time to the nearest emergency room (ER), cardiac, and stroke centers in Middle Tennessee. Populations within 30, 60, and 90. min driving time to the nearest ER, cardiac and stroke centers were identified. There were improvements in timely access to cardiac and stroke centers over the study period (1999-2010). There were significant (p< 0.0001) increases in the proportion of the population with access to cardiac centers within 30. min from 29.4% (1999) to 62.4% (2009) while that for stroke changed from 5.4% (2004) to 46.1% (2010). Most (96%) of the population had access to an ER within 30. min from 1999 to 2010. Access to care has improved in the last decade but more still needs to be done to address disparities in rural communities.
KW - Access to emergency care
KW - Geographic disparities
KW - Heart attack
KW - Myocardial infarction
KW - Network analysis
KW - Stroke
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=82455199215&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.sste.2011.07.010
DO - 10.1016/j.sste.2011.07.010
M3 - Article
C2 - 22748224
AN - SCOPUS:82455199215
SN - 1877-5845
VL - 2
SP - 247
EP - 263
JO - Spatial and Spatio-temporal Epidemiology
JF - Spatial and Spatio-temporal Epidemiology
IS - 4
ER -