Geospatial analysis in addressing surgical care inequities: A scoping review and methodological guide
Marc Cohen1, Rui Fu2, Jonathan Irish3,4
1Evaluative Clinical Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
PLOS Digital Health
|July 16, 2026
Summary
Geospatial analysis helps identify underserved populations for surgical care. This review shows its use in planning new facilities or improving existing ones to ensure equitable access to surgery.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare Management
- Geographic Information Systems
- Surgical Care Access
Background:
- Surgical systems face challenges in justifying investments in new facilities versus expanding existing ones.
- Determining optimal locations for new surgical facilities is a critical decision for resource allocation.
- Geospatial analysis offers a data-driven approach to inform these complex decisions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review how geospatial analysis has been utilized to identify populations with inequitable surgical care access.
- To inform the development of appropriate surgical care structures and processes.
- To synthesize findings and identify gaps in the application of geospatial analysis for surgical resource planning.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive scoping review of peer-reviewed English-language articles was conducted.
- Literature search performed in November 2024 across MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, and PubMed databases.
- Two independent reviewers screened studies and extracted data on findings and analytical methods.
Main Results:
- Nineteen studies were included, categorized by findings: optimal new facility locations (2 studies), strengthening existing facilities (6 studies), and prioritizing resource allocation to specific areas (11 studies).
- Identified gaps include lack of explicit justification for ambulatory surgical centers, use of outdated data, and suboptimal geospatial techniques.
- The review highlights the varied applications of geospatial analysis in surgical care planning.
Conclusions:
- Geospatial analysis is a valuable tool for identifying inequities in surgical care access and informing resource allocation decisions.
- Further research is needed to refine geospatial methodologies and data sources for optimal surgical care planning.
- Recommendations are provided for the effective application of geospatial analysis in surgical research.
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