title: [Travel time and distances to Norwegian out-of-hours casualty clinics].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Geographical factors have an impact on the utilisation of out-of-hours services. In this study we have investigated the travel distance to out-of-hours casualty clinics in Norwegian municipalities in 2011 and the number of municipalities covered by the proposed recommendations for secondary on-call arrangements due to long distances.
  
  
  METHODS
  We estimated the average maximum travel times and distances in Norwegian municipalities using a postcode-based method. Separate analyses were performed for municipalities with a single, permanently located casualty clinic. Altogether 417 out of 430 municipalities were included. We present the median value of the maximum travel times and distances for the included municipalities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median maximum average travel distance for the municipalities was 19 km. The median maximum average travel time was 22 minutes. In 40 of the municipalities (10 %) the median maximum average travel time exceeded 60 minutes, and in 97 municipalities (23 %) the median maximum average travel time exceeded 40 minutes. The population of these groups comprised 2 % and 5 % of the country's total population respectively. For municipalities with permanent emergency facilities(N = 316), the median average flight time 16 minutes and median average distance 13 km..
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In many municipalities, the inhabitants have a long average journey to out-of-hours emergency health services, but seen as a whole, the inhabitants of these municipalities account for a very small proportion of the Norwegian population. The results indicate that the proposed recommendations for secondary on-call duty based on long distances apply to only a small number of inhabitants. The recommendations should therefore be adjusted and reformulated to become more relevant.
authors.affiliation: Nasjonalt kompetansesenter for legevaktmedisin Uni Research Helse og RELIS Nord-Norge Universitetssykehuset Nord-Norge.
authors.forename: Guttorm
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Raknes
authors.affiliation: Nasjonalt kompetansesenter for legevaktmedisin Uni Research Helse og Institutt for global helse og samfunnsmedisin Universitetet i Bergen.
authors.forename: Tone
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Morken
authors.affiliation: Nasjonalt kompetansesenter for legevaktmedisin Uni Research Helse og Institutt for global helse og samfunnsmedisin Universitetet i Bergen.
authors.forename: Steinar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hunskår
mesh_terms: D039602:After-Hours Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D009664:Norway; D012042:Registries; D013997:Time Factors; D014195:Travel