The Health Access GIS Database for Women and Children is an integrated database combining geographic locations of health facilities serving women and children in North and South Carolina with the characteristics of each facility such as specialty, services, and insurance network. Population data from the 1990 and 2000 Census data and data on health outcomes for each county will be linked to the GIS data. The resulting database will be of unique commercial value to the health care industry, which need county-by-county information on health care demands and services, and those in the public sector and researchers who are interested in place-specific and demographically accurate measures of-activity in this rapidly changing sector. A prototype database for four counties has demonstrated the feasibility of the data collection and mapping procedures.
The health access database for women and children has numerous commercial applications. Managed care organizations must prove accessibility of their facilities on a county-by-county basis for licensing. The effects of differences in accessibility of facilities on a wide range of health outcomes can be analyzed with our database. State and federal regulators are also interested in this database to assess accessibility of health services. In addition, there are market planning applications and opportunities in health services research.
