University of Canterbury Home
    • Admin
    UC Research Repository
    UC Library
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.
    View Item 
    1. UC Home
    2. Library
    3. UC Research Repository
    4. Faculty of Science | Te Kaupeka Pūtaiao
    5. Science: Theses and Dissertations
    6. View Item
    1. UC Home
    2.  > 
    3. Library
    4.  > 
    5. UC Research Repository
    6.  > 
    7. Faculty of Science | Te Kaupeka Pūtaiao
    8.  > 
    9. Science: Theses and Dissertations
    10.  > 
    11. View Item

    Using a natural experiment to assess the effect of spatial barriers on health service utilization. (2014)

    Thumbnail
    View/Open
    thesis_fulltext.pdf (28.40Mb)
    MacRae_Use_of_thesis_form.pdf (41.04Kb)
    Type of Content
    Theses / Dissertations
    UC Permalink
    http://hdl.handle.net/10092/9346
    http://dx.doi.org/10.26021/7315
    
    Thesis Discipline
    Geography
    Degree Name
    Master of Science
    Publisher
    University of Canterbury. Geography
    Collections
    • Geospatial Research Institute: Theses and Dissertations [23]
    • Science: Theses and Dissertations [4486]
    Authors
    MacRae, Jayden
    show all
    Abstract

    The closure of the Manawatu Gorge in August 2011 caused a change in the travel time for patients living in the eastern area of the MidCentral Health District to their main hospital and health services located in Palmerston North. This presented an opportunity to study the effect a change in travel time and spatial access had on a population before and after such an event. This study used a retrospective cohort design, using routinely collected data from general practice, emergency department, hospital admissions and outpatient services. The investigation was completed using novel geospatial information systems methods to produce high fidelity data for analysis with free and open source software by developing and validating two new methods of improving geocoding data quality and a new travel time prediction model. Potential and realised spatial accessibility measures were calculated for 101,456 patients over 3.5 years while the gorge was both open and closed. Catchment sensitivity analysis and two-step floating catchment area using distance decays presented complimentary evidence of accessibility change during the Manawatu Gorge closure. Analysis of utilisation measures in both primary and secondary care were correlated with travel time. Utilisation of general practice services appeared to be negatively impacted by increased travel time when comparing realised accessibility in a control and intervention group during the gorge closure. It appeared as though other factors affected access to health services to a greater degree than an increase of up to fifteen minutes travel time.

    Keywords
    Health Utilisation; Spatial Accessibility; GIS; Access Barriers
    Rights
    Copyright Jayden MacRae
    https://canterbury.libguides.com/rights/theses

    Related items

    Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.

    • Spatial effects of natural disasters on mental health 

      Kingham, S.; Hogg, D.; Reed, K.; Campbell, M.; Wilson, T.; Ardagh, M. (University of Canterbury. GeographyUniversity of Canterbury. Geological Sciences, 2013)
    • The approaches to measuring the potential spatial access to urban health services revisited: distance types and aggregation-error issues 

      Gelb J; Apparicio P; Dube A-S; Kingham, Simon; Gauvin L; Robitaille E (2017)
      Background: The potential spatial access to urban health services is an important issue in health geography, spatial epidemiology and public health. Computing geographical accessibility measures for residential areas (e.g. ...
    • Gene-Environment Interactions in Health Services Utilization and Access to Care 

      Basu, A.; Romeis, J.C. (University of Canterbury. School of Health Sciences, 2013)
    Advanced Search

    Browse

    All of the RepositoryCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsThesis DisciplineThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsThesis Discipline

    Statistics

    View Usage Statistics
    • SUBMISSIONS
    • Research Outputs
    • UC Theses
    • CONTACTS
    • Send Feedback
    • +64 3 369 3853
    • ucresearchrepository@canterbury.ac.nz
    • ABOUT
    • UC Research Repository Guide
    • Copyright and Disclaimer
    • SUBMISSIONS
    • Research Outputs
    • UC Theses
    • CONTACTS
    • Send Feedback
    • +64 3 369 3853
    • ucresearchrepository@canterbury.ac.nz
    • ABOUT
    • UC Research Repository Guide
    • Copyright and Disclaimer