Access to dialysis services: A systematic mapping review based on geographical information systems

Area of Science:

• Healthcare access research
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in healthcare
• Health services research

Background:

• Equitable healthcare access is a priority, with dialysis services (ADS) being crucial for renal patients.
• Existing GIS-based evaluations of ADS consider various spatial and non-spatial factors.
• Understanding current methodologies and identifying gaps in GIS-based ADS assessments is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically map and review existing literature on GIS-based access to dialysis services (ADS) evaluations.
• To identify gaps in current GIS-based ADS measurements.
• To develop recommendations for future research in this area.

Main Methods:

• A three-step systematic mapping review of GIS-related literature was conducted across multiple databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, Science Direct, IEEE Xplore).
• Literature searches were performed in May 2016 and updated in October 2017.
• Study quality was assessed using an informal, mixed-approach scoring system, with 36 studies included in the final review from 1119 initial references.

Main Results:

• The review identified 41 factors influencing ADS, primarily focusing on potential and spatial aspects.
• Current GIS-based measures predominantly calculate potential ADS rather than realized access.
• A majority of identified factors affecting ADS were non-spatial, suggesting limitations in current spatial analyses.

Conclusions:

• Existing GIS-based measures of ADS tend to focus on potential rather than realized access.
• The prevalence of non-spatial factors suggests a need for integrated approaches.
• Developing an integrated ADS index may yield more accurate assessments than current methods, with recommendations provided for future research.