Methodology for building a geographical accessibility health index throughout metropolitan France

Abstract

Spatial accessibility to health services is a key factor in terms of public health. Even though some tools are available, establishing accessibility criteria applicable from one geographic scale to another remains difficult. Therefore, we propose a method for creating a health accessibility index applicable on a large geographic scale, based on a methodology that overcomes the limitations of political-administrative divisions and which allows a multi-scalar approach to be implemented. The index highlights, on a national scale, areas of cumulative health disadvantages. This index of accessibility to health care combines accessibility and availability and can be adapted to many geographical scales. As accessibility can be understood in various dimensions, a score could be calculated for various fields such as education and culture. The index can help policymakers to identify under-endowed areas and find optimal locations. In terms of public health, it may be used to understand the mechanisms underlying geographic health disparities.