Accessibility of Specialized Palliative Care in Hokkaido using Open Data

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to a geographic accessibility, including patient coverage, of facilities providing specialized palliative care in Hokkaido. Methods: Vital statistics and digitized geographic information were used as data. We estimated the number of patients in need of palliative care, including both cancer and non-cancer patients, based on estimated by Murtagh et al. and the mortality statistics for Hokkaido. We analyzed the coverage rate within a 16 km radius of specialized palliative care facilities, as well as the distances and travel times to these facilities. Results: Cancer patient coverage within the 16 km radius, with hospitals providing specialized palliative care as the main purpose of coverage, was 77.2%. Patient coverage, including noncancer patients, in home-based palliative care facilities was 83.2%. The average time for cancer patients to arrive at the nearest hospital providing specialized palliative care varied from 9.7 to 197.0 minutes, with regional differences. Discussion: We assessed geographic accessibility to specialized palliative care in Hokkaido. In the future, we suggest the need for optimal allocation of medical facilities and collaboration between hospitals and home care to improve equity of specialized palliative care provision.