TY - JOUR
T1 - A Nationwide Comparison of Driving Distance Versus Straight-Line Distance to Hospitals
AU - Boscoe, Francis P.
AU - Henry, Kevin A.
AU - Zdeb, Michael S.
PY - 2012/5
Y1 - 2012/5
N2 - Many geographic studies use distance as a simple measure of accessibility, risk, or disparity. Straight-line (Euclidean) distance is most often used because of the ease of its calculation. Actual travel distance over a road network is a superior alternative, although historically an expensive and labor-intensive undertaking. This is no longer true, as travel distance and travel time can be calculated directly from commercial Web sites, without the need to own or purchase specialized geographic information system software or street files. Taking advantage of this feature, we compare straight-line and travel distance and travel time to community hospitals from a representative sample of more than 66,000 locations in the fifty states of the United States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The measures are very highly correlated (r 2 > 0.9), but important local exceptions can be found near shorelines and other physical barriers. We conclude that for nonemergency travel to hospitals, the added precision offered by the substitution of travel distance, travel time, or both for straight-line distance is largely inconsequential.
AB - Many geographic studies use distance as a simple measure of accessibility, risk, or disparity. Straight-line (Euclidean) distance is most often used because of the ease of its calculation. Actual travel distance over a road network is a superior alternative, although historically an expensive and labor-intensive undertaking. This is no longer true, as travel distance and travel time can be calculated directly from commercial Web sites, without the need to own or purchase specialized geographic information system software or street files. Taking advantage of this feature, we compare straight-line and travel distance and travel time to community hospitals from a representative sample of more than 66,000 locations in the fifty states of the United States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The measures are very highly correlated (r 2 > 0.9), but important local exceptions can be found near shorelines and other physical barriers. We conclude that for nonemergency travel to hospitals, the added precision offered by the substitution of travel distance, travel time, or both for straight-line distance is largely inconsequential.
KW - accessibility
KW - detour index
KW - proximity
KW - travel distance
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84859593709&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/00330124.2011.583586
DO - 10.1080/00330124.2011.583586
M3 - Article
C2 - 24273346
SN - 0033-0124
VL - 64
SP - 188
EP - 196
JO - Professional Geographer
JF - Professional Geographer
IS - 2
ER -