Geographical Accessibility of Pediatric Inpatient, Nephrology, and Urology Services in Europe
Background: Although many children with diseases of the kidneys and the urinary tract may not tolerate long journeys, the number of facilities that provide specialized care for these patients is limited. Therefore, the geographical accessibility of the required health services is critical especially...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2020-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Pediatrics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fped.2020.00395/full |
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| author | Nicolas Terliesner Nicolas Terliesner Dariusz Lesniowski Alexandra Krasnikova Martin Korte Mirjam Terliesner Marcus A. Mall Marcus A. Mall Katalin Dittrich Katalin Dittrich |
| author_facet | Nicolas Terliesner Nicolas Terliesner Dariusz Lesniowski Alexandra Krasnikova Martin Korte Mirjam Terliesner Marcus A. Mall Marcus A. Mall Katalin Dittrich Katalin Dittrich |
| author_sort | Nicolas Terliesner |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Although many children with diseases of the kidneys and the urinary tract may not tolerate long journeys, the number of facilities that provide specialized care for these patients is limited. Therefore, the geographical accessibility of the required health services is critical especially in this patient group. We have analyzed the geographical accessibility of pediatric inpatient and nephro-urology services in Germany, Ireland, and the United Kingdom (UK).Methods: This study introduces a model to compare countries or regions regarding the geographical accessibility of their health services. We calculated the geodesic distances, travel distances, and travel time by car from evenly distributed random points to the nearest facilities that provide pediatric inpatient or nephro-urology outpatient services (pediatric inpatient ward, urology clinic, nephrology clinic, hemodialysis unit). The results were weighted by population density. We compared the three countries with regard to the accessibility of the named services.Results: Weighted median travel times from the random points to the nearest pediatric inpatient ward are < 30 min in all countries. Weighted travel times to the nearest point of pediatric service are shortest in the UK (median <50 min) and longest in Ireland (median <90 min), regardless of the type of service (p < 0.0001). Non-weighted travel times to the nearest pediatric inpatient ward and hemodialysis unit, however, are shorter in Germany than in the UK (p < 0.0001).Conclusions: There is a surprising disparity between the travel times to the nearest facility with pediatric nephro-urology service in these three industrialized European countries. Reasons may be differences in the geographical distribution of the population, the focus of the health care system, and a different degree of clinical networking. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T15:32:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e2d795d754134a9b8c980351893fdff2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-2360 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T15:32:24Z |
| publishDate | 2020-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Pediatrics |
| spelling | doaj.art-e2d795d754134a9b8c980351893fdff22022-12-21T23:40:09ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Pediatrics2296-23602020-07-01810.3389/fped.2020.00395548064Geographical Accessibility of Pediatric Inpatient, Nephrology, and Urology Services in EuropeNicolas Terliesner0Nicolas Terliesner1Dariusz Lesniowski2Alexandra Krasnikova3Martin Korte4Mirjam Terliesner5Marcus A. Mall6Marcus A. Mall7Katalin Dittrich8Katalin Dittrich9Department of Pediatric Pulmonology, Immunology and Intensive Care Medicine, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, GermanyDepartment of Pediatric Nephrology, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, GermanyDepartment of Pediatric Pulmonology, Immunology and Intensive Care Medicine, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, GermanyDepartment of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, GermanyMedical Faculty, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum, GermanyMedical Faculty, Universität Leipzig, Leipzig, GermanyDepartment of Pediatric Pulmonology, Immunology and Intensive Care Medicine, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, GermanyBerlin Institute of Health, Berlin, GermanyDepartment of Pediatric Nephrology, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, GermanyDeutsche Stiftung Organtransplantation, Frankfurt, GermanyBackground: Although many children with diseases of the kidneys and the urinary tract may not tolerate long journeys, the number of facilities that provide specialized care for these patients is limited. Therefore, the geographical accessibility of the required health services is critical especially in this patient group. We have analyzed the geographical accessibility of pediatric inpatient and nephro-urology services in Germany, Ireland, and the United Kingdom (UK).Methods: This study introduces a model to compare countries or regions regarding the geographical accessibility of their health services. We calculated the geodesic distances, travel distances, and travel time by car from evenly distributed random points to the nearest facilities that provide pediatric inpatient or nephro-urology outpatient services (pediatric inpatient ward, urology clinic, nephrology clinic, hemodialysis unit). The results were weighted by population density. We compared the three countries with regard to the accessibility of the named services.Results: Weighted median travel times from the random points to the nearest pediatric inpatient ward are < 30 min in all countries. Weighted travel times to the nearest point of pediatric service are shortest in the UK (median <50 min) and longest in Ireland (median <90 min), regardless of the type of service (p < 0.0001). Non-weighted travel times to the nearest pediatric inpatient ward and hemodialysis unit, however, are shorter in Germany than in the UK (p < 0.0001).Conclusions: There is a surprising disparity between the travel times to the nearest facility with pediatric nephro-urology service in these three industrialized European countries. Reasons may be differences in the geographical distribution of the population, the focus of the health care system, and a different degree of clinical networking.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fped.2020.00395/fullaccessgeographical accessibilitytravel timetravel distancenephrologyhemodialysis |
| spellingShingle | Nicolas Terliesner Nicolas Terliesner Dariusz Lesniowski Alexandra Krasnikova Martin Korte Mirjam Terliesner Marcus A. Mall Marcus A. Mall Katalin Dittrich Katalin Dittrich Geographical Accessibility of Pediatric Inpatient, Nephrology, and Urology Services in Europe Frontiers in Pediatrics access geographical accessibility travel time travel distance nephrology hemodialysis |
| title | Geographical Accessibility of Pediatric Inpatient, Nephrology, and Urology Services in Europe |
| title_full | Geographical Accessibility of Pediatric Inpatient, Nephrology, and Urology Services in Europe |
| title_fullStr | Geographical Accessibility of Pediatric Inpatient, Nephrology, and Urology Services in Europe |
| title_full_unstemmed | Geographical Accessibility of Pediatric Inpatient, Nephrology, and Urology Services in Europe |
| title_short | Geographical Accessibility of Pediatric Inpatient, Nephrology, and Urology Services in Europe |
| title_sort | geographical accessibility of pediatric inpatient nephrology and urology services in europe |
| topic | access geographical accessibility travel time travel distance nephrology hemodialysis |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fped.2020.00395/full |
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