Spatial analysis of prehospital emergency medical services accessibility: a comparative evaluation of the GAUSS-probability two-step floating catchment area model in Handan City

IntroductionThe evaluation of the accessibility of prehospital emergency medical facilities plays a vital role in the rational allocation of urban medical resources. Proper emergency medical services (EMS) planning based on accessibility evaluations can facilitate a more equitable distribution of he...

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Main Authors: Feng Tian, Saicong Lu, Zhenjie Yang, Tingting Zhao, Penghui Li, Haifang Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-03-01
Series:Frontiers in Public Health
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1548462/full
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author Feng Tian
Feng Tian
Feng Tian
Saicong Lu
Saicong Lu
Saicong Lu
Zhenjie Yang
Tingting Zhao
Tingting Zhao
Tingting Zhao
Penghui Li
Penghui Li
Penghui Li
Haifang Zhang
author_facet Feng Tian
Feng Tian
Feng Tian
Saicong Lu
Saicong Lu
Saicong Lu
Zhenjie Yang
Tingting Zhao
Tingting Zhao
Tingting Zhao
Penghui Li
Penghui Li
Penghui Li
Haifang Zhang
author_sort Feng Tian
collection DOAJ
description IntroductionThe evaluation of the accessibility of prehospital emergency medical facilities plays a vital role in the rational allocation of urban medical resources. Proper emergency medical services (EMS) planning based on accessibility evaluations can facilitate a more equitable distribution of healthcare services, thereby reducing disparities in emergency care availability across different urban areas. Prehospital EMS is often highly urgent, requiring effective intervention for patients in the shortest possible time.MethodsTo meet this need, the model incorporated distance-based selection probabilities to optimize decision making by considering both geographical location and the distribution of emergency resources, making it more compatible with the practical demands of prehospital EMS. In this study, the GAUSS-Probability Two-step Floating Catchment Area (GP2SFCA) method was applied to evaluate the spatial distribution of access to prehospital EMS in Handan City and to assess accessibility differences by comparing it with various models.ResultsThe results demonstrated that the GP2SFCA model achieved significantly improved performance, with an average correlation coefficient of 0.7017, indicating a notably higher predictive accuracy. In contrast, other models, including the Cumulative-Opportunity Rectangular (CUMR), Kernel Density (KD), and GAUSS models, showed a much lower average correlation coefficient of 0.1542. This comparison showed that the GP2SFCAmodel achieved optimized accuracy, increasing its applicability to real world scenarios.DiscussionOur study significantly improved the evaluation and optimization of the spatial distribution of medical resources in the Handan region, offering crucial decision support for enhancing the reachability of regional medical services via its meticulous analysis of accessibility and resource allocation.
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spelling doaj-art-dc521151d57b4a189f23797223d1b3412025-08-20T02:48:28ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652025-03-011310.3389/fpubh.2025.15484621548462Spatial analysis of prehospital emergency medical services accessibility: a comparative evaluation of the GAUSS-probability two-step floating catchment area model in Handan CityFeng Tian0Feng Tian1Feng Tian2Saicong Lu3Saicong Lu4Saicong Lu5Zhenjie Yang6Tingting Zhao7Tingting Zhao8Tingting Zhao9Penghui Li10Penghui Li11Penghui Li12Haifang Zhang13Hebei Key Laboratory of Medical Data Science, Handan, Hebei, ChinaInstitute of Biomedical Informatics, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan, Hebei, ChinaSchool of Medicine, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan, Hebei, ChinaHebei Key Laboratory of Medical Data Science, Handan, Hebei, ChinaInstitute of Biomedical Informatics, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan, Hebei, ChinaSchool of Information and Electrical Engineering, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan, Hebei, ChinaHandan Emergency Rescue Command Center, Handan, Hebei, ChinaHebei Key Laboratory of Medical Data Science, Handan, Hebei, ChinaInstitute of Biomedical Informatics, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan, Hebei, ChinaSchool of Medicine, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan, Hebei, ChinaHebei Key Laboratory of Medical Data Science, Handan, Hebei, ChinaInstitute of Biomedical Informatics, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan, Hebei, ChinaSchool of Medicine, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan, Hebei, ChinaHandan Emergency Rescue Command Center, Handan, Hebei, ChinaIntroductionThe evaluation of the accessibility of prehospital emergency medical facilities plays a vital role in the rational allocation of urban medical resources. Proper emergency medical services (EMS) planning based on accessibility evaluations can facilitate a more equitable distribution of healthcare services, thereby reducing disparities in emergency care availability across different urban areas. Prehospital EMS is often highly urgent, requiring effective intervention for patients in the shortest possible time.MethodsTo meet this need, the model incorporated distance-based selection probabilities to optimize decision making by considering both geographical location and the distribution of emergency resources, making it more compatible with the practical demands of prehospital EMS. In this study, the GAUSS-Probability Two-step Floating Catchment Area (GP2SFCA) method was applied to evaluate the spatial distribution of access to prehospital EMS in Handan City and to assess accessibility differences by comparing it with various models.ResultsThe results demonstrated that the GP2SFCA model achieved significantly improved performance, with an average correlation coefficient of 0.7017, indicating a notably higher predictive accuracy. In contrast, other models, including the Cumulative-Opportunity Rectangular (CUMR), Kernel Density (KD), and GAUSS models, showed a much lower average correlation coefficient of 0.1542. This comparison showed that the GP2SFCAmodel achieved optimized accuracy, increasing its applicability to real world scenarios.DiscussionOur study significantly improved the evaluation and optimization of the spatial distribution of medical resources in the Handan region, offering crucial decision support for enhancing the reachability of regional medical services via its meticulous analysis of accessibility and resource allocation.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1548462/fullspatial accessibilityprehospital emergency medical services (EMS)GAUSS-probability two-step floating catchment area (GP2SFCA) modelGISHandan
spellingShingle Feng Tian
Feng Tian
Feng Tian
Saicong Lu
Saicong Lu
Saicong Lu
Zhenjie Yang
Tingting Zhao
Tingting Zhao
Tingting Zhao
Penghui Li
Penghui Li
Penghui Li
Haifang Zhang
Spatial analysis of prehospital emergency medical services accessibility: a comparative evaluation of the GAUSS-probability two-step floating catchment area model in Handan City
Frontiers in Public Health
spatial accessibility
prehospital emergency medical services (EMS)
GAUSS-probability two-step floating catchment area (GP2SFCA) model
GIS
Handan
title Spatial analysis of prehospital emergency medical services accessibility: a comparative evaluation of the GAUSS-probability two-step floating catchment area model in Handan City
title_full Spatial analysis of prehospital emergency medical services accessibility: a comparative evaluation of the GAUSS-probability two-step floating catchment area model in Handan City
title_fullStr Spatial analysis of prehospital emergency medical services accessibility: a comparative evaluation of the GAUSS-probability two-step floating catchment area model in Handan City
title_full_unstemmed Spatial analysis of prehospital emergency medical services accessibility: a comparative evaluation of the GAUSS-probability two-step floating catchment area model in Handan City
title_short Spatial analysis of prehospital emergency medical services accessibility: a comparative evaluation of the GAUSS-probability two-step floating catchment area model in Handan City
title_sort spatial analysis of prehospital emergency medical services accessibility a comparative evaluation of the gauss probability two step floating catchment area model in handan city
topic spatial accessibility
prehospital emergency medical services (EMS)
GAUSS-probability two-step floating catchment area (GP2SFCA) model
GIS
Handan
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1548462/full
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