title: Geographic disparities in the utilisation of computed tomography scanning services in southern New Zealand.
abstract: Most secondary care health services in New Zealand, including computed tomography (CT) scanners, are concentrated in urban centres. Little is known about the access rural patients have to these services. The aim of this research was to determine whether there was geographic variation in the utilisation of CT across the southern part of the South Island and if present to measure the magnitude. Quantitative analysis of public hospital data for CTs over two twelve month periods (2007/08 and 2010) showed that residents of urban base hospital catchment areas were 1.6 times more likely to access CT services than residents of the catchment areas of remote rural hospitals. Similar disparities were present when the analysis was limited to the ≥70 yrs age group. The disparities were present regardless of the referral source or the type of scan but were greatest for emergency department referrals, head scans and CT pulmonary angiograms. Further research is needed to determine the causes of these differences and whether they result in differences in health outcomes.
authors: Department of General Practice & Rural Health, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. Electronic address: garry.nixon@otago.ac.nz.
authors: Garry
authors: G
authors: Nixon
authors: Injury Prevention Research Unit, Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors: Ari
authors: A
authors: Samaranayaka
authors: Injury Prevention Research Unit, Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors: Brandon
authors: B
authors: de Graaf
authors: Department of General Practice & Rural Health, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors: Roslyne
authors: R
authors: McKechnie
authors: Department of General Practice & Rural Health, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors: Katharina
authors: K
authors: Blattner
authors: Department of General Practice & Rural Health, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors: Susan
authors: S
authors: Dovey
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D054625:Healthcare Disparities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019037:Urban Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: Access to services; Imaging; Rural