Effect of centralization on geographic accessibility of maternity hospitals in Finland.

Background: In the past two decades, the number of maternity hospitals in Finland has been reduced from 42 to 22. Notwithstanding the benefits of centralization for larger units in terms of increased safety, the closures will inevitably impair geographical accessibility of services.

Methods: This study aimed to employ a set of location-allocation methods to assess the potential impact on accessibility, should the number of maternity hospitals be reduced from 22 to 16.

Accessibility of tertiary hospitals in Finland: A comparison of administrative and normative catchment areas.

The determination of an appropriate catchment area for a hospital providing highly specialized (i.e. tertiary) health care is typically a trade-off between ensuring adequate client volumes and maintaining reasonable accessibility for all potential clients.

Invasive Group A Streptococcal Infections in Children: A Nationwide Survey in Finland.

Background: The incidence of invasive group A streptococcus (iGAS) infections varies in time and geographically for unknown reasons. We performed a nationwide survey to assess the population-based incidence rates and outcomes of children with iGAS infections.

Methods: We collected data on patients from hospital discharge registries and the electronic databases of microbiological laboratories in Finland for the period 1996-2010.