Mapping the distribution of general practitioners and their billing pattern in the Toowoomba District

Almenhali, Salem (2004) Mapping the distribution of general practitioners and their billing pattern in the Toowoomba District. [USQ Project]

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Abstract

General practitioners in the medical field are one of the most important services required for the
treatment of different illnesses. However, due to the shortage of general practitioners in rural towns
across Australia, a more even ratio of doctors to residents may ease the pressure on doctors as is the
case in Toowoomba.
This project investigates the current state of the general practitioner distribution and population density
in Toowoomba using GIS technology. A survey of the Toowoomba region provided information with
respect to the location of the doctors, the population that each doctor, hypothetically would need to
tend to, and the doctors' consultation charges. An analysis of the general practitioners' distribution
considered spatially-related factors, including traffic density near the surgeries, transportation
facilities, proximity to commercial centres and the population density surrounding the surgery, to
explain the distribution of doctors in the Toowoomba region. Spatial proximity of general practitioners
to the Central Business District (CBD), commercial centres, and the associated transportation facilities
affect the distribution of patients per doctor, with the analysis providing evidence that patients are
more likely to take advantage of the convenience of these services. Also, demographic activity was
identified as a significant factor which impacted on the distribution of general practitioners. These
significant factors have contributed to the issue of a shortage of doctors within the region, which may
be alleviated with the application of GIS technology for the future planning of a more effective
distribution of general practitioners within the population, taking into consideration the above factors
that the general public value.

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Item Type:	USQ Project
Refereed:	No
Item Status:	Live Archive
Faculty/School / Institute/Centre:	Historic - Faculty of Engineering and Surveying - Department of Surveying and Land Information (Up to 30 Jun 2013)
Date Deposited:	11 Oct 2007 00:13
Last Modified:	02 Jul 2013 22:30
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Geographic Information System (GIS), Toowoomba, doctor distribution and population density, general practitioners, health services
Fields of Research (2008):	09 Engineering > 0909 Geomatic Engineering > 090903 Geospatial Information Systems 09 Engineering > 0909 Geomatic Engineering > 090901 Cartography
Fields of Research (2020):	40 ENGINEERING > 4013 Geomatic engineering > 401302 Geospatial information systems and geospatial data modelling 40 ENGINEERING > 4013 Geomatic engineering > 401301 Cartography and digital mapping
URI:	https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/45

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