EVALUATION OF UNEVEN DISTRIBUTION OF MEDICAL RESOURCES BASED ON A SPATIAL INTERACTION MODEL USING MEDICAL RECEIPT DATA

In Japan’s medical planning, medical areas are defined based on administrative districts, taking into account the balance of medical supply and demand. However, the free access system has led to healthcare utilization beyond these designated medical areas, creating a gap between the plan and actual situation. In this study, we used medical receipt data to analyze patient behavior through a spatial interaction model. The findings revealed that there are no excessively large medical areas. Patients seeking medical care outside their designated areas tend to choose regions with approximately four times the medical resources available within their designated areas.