The potential geographic accessibility of hospital services in Cluj County

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Key words: , , , , ,
Issue: Volume 17, Issue 1, 2023

Abstract


Accessibility to medical services is an essential element for a higher quality of life. In a geographical sense, accessibility relies on location and distance. In the case of health geography, it is concerned with the location of health services and how they serve the health needs of the population. The present study tries to measure the potential access to hospital services for the population of Cluj County, using time and distance records provided by Google Maps API. For the most accurate measurement, two scenarios were considered. Both scenarios take place in heavy traffic conditions at different time intervals. The first scenario represents accessibility values for the morning period, between 09:00 and 11:00. The second scenario represents accessibility during the evening, between 16:00 and 18:00. The results show that Cluj County has good accessibility to hospitals, with over 70% of the population reaching the nearest hospital in less than 30 minutes, especially in Cluj-Napoca and the surrounding localities. The most challenging areas in terms of the accessibility to medical services are mainly in the southwest of the county. The discoveries provide a scientific basis to improve medical access in the mountainous areas of Cluj County.

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Authors Affiliations


Alexandru Mihăilescu* (1)

(1) University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
* Correspondence address
Email: alexandru.mihailescu@s.unibuc.ro

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About journal

Title: Human Geographies - Journal of Studies and Research in Human Geography
ISSN online: 2067-2284
ISSN print: 1843-6587
Imprint: University of Bucharest
Frequency: Biannual (May&November)
First volume: 1/2007
Current volume: 18/2024
Language: English
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EDITORS


Prof. dr. Liliana Dumitrache
University of Bucharest, Faculty of Geography- Human and Economic Geography Department, 1 Nicolae Balcescu Av., 010041, Bucharest, Romania

Dr. Daniela Dumbrăveanu
University of Bucharest, Faculty of Geography- Human and Economic Geography Department, 1 Nicolae Balcescu Av., 010041, Bucharest, Romania

Dr. Mariana Nae
University of Bucharest, Faculty of Geography- Human and Economic Geography Department, 1 Nicolae Balcescu Av., 010041, Bucharest, Romania

Dr. Gabriel Simion
University of Bucharest, Faculty of Geography- Human and Economic Geography Department, 1 Nicolae Balcescu Av., 010041, Bucharest, Romania

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