Evaluation of the spatial equality of the medical service function from the perspective of the life circle：A case study of Chengdu City

Evaluation of the spatial equality of the medical service function from the perspective of the life circle：A case study of Chengdu City | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Evaluation of the spatial equality of the medical service function from the perspective of the life circle：A case study of Chengdu City ran Zhu, Zi-qi Rong, Hai-li Wang This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4354809/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background At a time when life is starting to return to normal following the global pandemic, the medical service function as a key component of public infrastructure in livable communities still have an undeniable importance. In practice, however, due to a heterogeneity in the distribution of medical facilities, a significant spatial imbalance can exist in urban and country regions. By integrating the life circle theory and complex system theory, we try to propose a new framework to fill this gap and explain the formation mechanism of the medical service function equality. Furthermore, the feasibility of the framework was verified by evaluating the spatial equality of medical services of the primary, secondary, tertiary and total medical service function in Chengdu City, China. Methods Based on Z-score method, a quantitative method was constructed to quantitative detect the spatial pattern of Chengdu’s medical services. This method can help to accurately identify the spatial equality of the medical service function, thereby facilitating further refined policy formulation to improve these functions. Results The results for accessibility within the life circle indicate that 97.69% of the population and 63.76% of metropolitan Chengdu enjoy total access to medical services, but this desirable accessibility gradually decreases around the central line of Chengdu and the central areas of other districts and counties. The multi-center hierarchical structure of level II, level III and the total function reflects the fact that accessibility to medical facilities in the main urban areas is better than that in the surrounding counties, and in the central urban areas of these surrounding counties are better than that in their peripheral areas. the spatial equality for the total function, level III, and level II exhibits a clear hierarchical structure, namely core-edge pattern. Urban construction is gradually spread from the center to the outside, which fundamentally determines the skeleton of the spatial pattern of medical service facilities in Chengdu. Conclusions Findings of this research contribute new theoretical and methodological insights into addressing the spatial equality of public service functions in complex regional and urban system. Medical service function spatial equality Gaussian two-step floating catchment area method (2SFCA) life circle Chengdu City Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4354809","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":299480297,"identity":"c634b629-7d13-41b4-8a89-d5cac023269c","order_by":0,"name":"ran Zhu","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA0klEQVRIiWNgGAWjYDACCQhZz8/MfODAhx/Ea7FJkGxvSzw4s4d4LWkJBmfOGB/mYCNCh/zsHrMPP3cczmO4kfPhMAMPgzy/2AH8WhjnnDGe2XvmcDHjjNwNhwssGAxnzk7Ar4VZIseYgbftMGOzBFDLDB6GBIPbBLSwAbUw/gVqaZPIeXCYh40ILTxALcy8bWmJPTxnGIjTIiGRVsws22ZjLMHeZgAMZAnCfpGfkbyZ8W2bhJz9YebHHz78sJHnlyagBcNW0pSPglEwCkbBKMAOAHYrQ49yR8H5AAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"","institution":"Leshan Normal University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"ran","middleName":"","lastName":"Zhu","suffix":""},{"id":299480298,"identity":"62e6fe82-41f5-4468-a0ea-45aff8061bd8","order_by":1,"name":"Zi-qi Rong","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Chengdu Medical College，School of Clinical Medicine，Chengdu 610500","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Zi-qi","middleName":"","lastName":"Rong","suffix":""},{"id":299480299,"identity":"9af92e46-4bdf-488a-8201-c31bf4a74d9c","order_by":2,"name":"Hai-li Wang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Neijiang Normal University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Hai-li","middleName":"","lastName":"Wang","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-05-01 14:40:23","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4354809/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4354809/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":58337761,"identity":"514c583b-fed8-407e-80a6-59232b20e126","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-06-14 05:53:56","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1882823,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"ManuscriptEvaluatingthespatialequalityofmedicalservicefromtheperspectiveofthelifecircleAcasestudyofChengduCity.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4354809/v1_covered_41c58c49-d6dc-4f6e-85e9-812cadfb20f6.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Evaluation of the spatial equality of the medical service function from the perspective of the life circle：A case study of Chengdu City","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Medical service function, spatial equality, Gaussian two-step floating catchment area method (2SFCA), life circle, Chengdu City","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4354809/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4354809/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003ch2\u003eBackground\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eAt a time when life is starting to return to normal following the global pandemic, the medical service function as a key component of public infrastructure in livable communities still have an undeniable importance. In practice, however, due to a heterogeneity in the distribution of medical facilities, a significant spatial imbalance can exist in urban and country regions. By integrating the life circle theory and complex system theory, we try to propose a new framework to fill this gap and explain the formation mechanism of the medical service function equality. Furthermore, the feasibility of the framework was verified by evaluating the spatial equality of medical services of the primary, secondary, tertiary and total medical service function in Chengdu City, China.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMethods\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eBased on Z-score method, a quantitative method was constructed to quantitative detect the spatial pattern of Chengdu\u0026rsquo;s medical services. This method can help to accurately identify the spatial equality of the medical service function, thereby facilitating further refined policy formulation to improve these functions.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eResults\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe results for accessibility within the life circle indicate that 97.69% of the population and 63.76% of metropolitan Chengdu enjoy total access to medical services, but this desirable accessibility gradually decreases around the central line of Chengdu and the central areas of other districts and counties. The multi-center hierarchical structure of level II, level III and the total function reflects the fact that accessibility to medical facilities in the main urban areas is better than that in the surrounding counties, and in the central urban areas of these surrounding counties are better than that in their peripheral areas. the spatial equality for the total function, level III, and level II exhibits a clear hierarchical structure, namely core-edge pattern. Urban construction is gradually spread from the center to the outside, which fundamentally determines the skeleton of the spatial pattern of medical service facilities in Chengdu.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eConclusions\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eFindings of this research contribute new theoretical and methodological insights into addressing the spatial equality of public service functions in complex regional and urban system.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Evaluation of the spatial equality of the medical service function from the perspective of the life circle：A case study of Chengdu City","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2024-05-08 08:17:33","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4354809/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"0d20c7a4-4012-4e03-83ec-f1c9a3554e7c","owner":[],"postedDate":"May 8th, 2024","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2024-06-14T05:45:47+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2024-05-08 08:17:33","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-4354809","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-4354809","identity":"rs-4354809","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"qtupq5eGEP_6zYnWcrvyt","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}