Beyond distance: integrating economic burden into large-scale primary healthcare accessibility analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Access to primary healthcare (PHC) services is a critical determinant of population health outcomes and a key indicator of health system performance. However, comprehensive methods for batch assessment of PHC accessibility and the associated economic burden are relatively scarce. This gap is particularly evident in developing countries, where accessibility challenges are often more pronounced.

Methods

We developed an integrated assessment methodology for the large-scale calculation of travel costs to access PHC services. This methodology combines high-resolution friction surface mapping, the construction of a comprehensive PHC facility spatial dataset, and the application of least-cost path algorithms. The batch processing capability of the methodology ensures eff

SUBMITTER: Zhu B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12557955 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature