Utilizing Geospatial Mapping to Identify High-Need Areas for Pelvic Health Rehabilitation and Inform Strategic Health...

Area of Science:

• Healthcare accessibility research
• Geospatial analysis in public health
• Veterans Affairs healthcare systems

Background:

• Pelvic floor dysfunction negatively impacts Veterans' quality of life.
• Pelvic Health Rehabilitation (PHR) is a crucial non-invasive treatment.
• Current access to PHR is limited by provider shortages, low awareness, and referral gaps.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify areas with high need for PHR services within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) using geospatial mapping.
• To inform VHA strategic planning for improved PHR service delivery.
• To create a feedback loop for enhancing healthcare access.

Main Methods:

• Extracted Veteran diagnostic data using pelvic health-related codes.
• Summarized data by 96 VHA geographic market areas based on Veteran residence.
• Utilized Geographic Information System (GIS) software for data visualization.

Main Results:

• Identified 2,746,003 Veterans potentially benefiting from PHR services.
• Highlighted that areas with the greatest need for PHR services had the least access.
• Noted that the VHA employed only 117 Pelvic Health Physical Therapists nationwide.

Conclusions:

• Geospatial mapping effectively visualizes disparities in PHR access across the VHA.
• This data is actively used by VHA partners to build PHR workforce capacity.
• The ultimate goal is to increase timely access to PHR for all eligible Veterans.