Geospatial Analyses of Accessibility to Down Syndrome Specialty Care.

J Pediatr

Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; Down Syndrome Program, Division of Medical Genetics and Metabolism, Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA.

Published: March 2020

Objective: To assess whether the location of 71 Down syndrome specialty care clinics in the US make them inaccessible to a considerable portion of the American population.

Study Design: Using a population-based representative sample of 64 761 individuals with Down syndrome and a Google Maps Application Programming Interface Python program, we calculated the distance each patient with Down syndrome would need to travel to reach the nearest clinic. Two conceptualizations were used-the state fluidity method, which allowed an individual to cross state lines for care and the state boundary method, which required individuals receive care in their state of residence.

Results: Almost 1 in 5 US individuals face significant geographic obstacles to receiving specialty care. This finding is especially prominent in the South, where >33% of patients with Down syndrome must travel >2 hours to reach their nearest clinic.

Conclusions: Down syndrome specialty care clinics are inaccessible to a considerable portion of American society. Innovative usage of technology might be useful to minimize these disparities in healthcare accessibility.

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Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2019.10.058DOI Listing

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