Keywords
Pre-hospital emergency care; Inequity; Distribution
Abstract
Background: This study aimed to evaluate equity in the utilization and resource distribution of pre-hospital emergency care in Guangdong province for 2015 by using the Concentration Index (CI), Gini index, and Theil index.
Methods: Concentration Index (CI) was used to estimate the equity of emergency calls and emergency ambulance dispatches as two utilization indicators. Gini index and Theil index was used to evaluate the equity of ambulances, first-aid stations, and dispatchers as three resources distribution indicators. We used EXCEL software to calculate indicators.
Results: This study suggests that inequities favoring the wealthy exist in the utilization and resource distribution of pre-hospital emergency care. Specifically, emergency ambulance dispatches, for which the CI ranged from 0.0651 to 0.1099, had a higher-grade pro-wealthy inequity compared with emergency calls, for which the CI ranged from 0.0461 to 0.0114. Moreover, the Gini indexes of ambulances, first-aid stations, and dispatchers were 0.2217, 0.2421, and 0.3011 based on population distribution, while they were 0.4402, 0.4696, and 0.4214 based on geographic area, which indicated that the equity of population distribution was superior to the equity of area distribution. Meanwhile, the Theil indexes represented these inequities were mainly attributed to intra-regional differences.
Conclusions: Pre-hospital emergency care utilization and resources distribution were inequitable in Guangdong. Not only comprehensive policies but also the equity of geographical area should be taken into account properly by the government.
Citation
Chen W, Huang C, Guo W, Li Z, Xu CY, Cao Y, et al. The Equity of Pre-Hospital Emergency Care at the County Level in Guangdong, China: A Cross-Sectional Study, 2015. SM J Public Health Epidemiol. 2017; 3(2): 1044.