Using ArcGIS software in the pre-hospital emergency medical system.

AIM: To measure the accessibility to healtcare services in order to reveal their quality and to improve the overall coverage, continuity and other features. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We used the software ESRI Arc GIS 9.3, the Network Analyst function and data provided by Ambulance Service of Iasi (A.S.I.) with emergencies statistics for the first four months of 2012, processed by Microsoft Office Excel 2010. As examples, we chose "St. Maria" Children's Emergency Hospital and "St. Spiridon" Emergency Hospital. RESULTS: ArcGIS Network Analyst finds the best route to get from one location to another or a route that includes multiple locations. Each route is characterized by three stops. The starting point is always the office of Ambulance Service of Iasi (A.S.I.), a second stop at the case address and the third to the hospital unit chosen according to the patient's diagnosis and age. Spatial distribution of emergency cases for the first four months of 2012 in these two examples is one unequable, with higher concentrations in districts located in two areas of the city. CONCLUSIONS: The presented examples highlight the poor coverage of healthcare services for the population of Iasi, Romania, especially the South-West area and its vulnerability in situations of emergency. Implementing such a broad project would lead to more complex analyses that would improve the situation of pre-hospital emergency medical services, with final goal to deserve the population, improve the quality of healthcare and develop the interdisciplinary relationships.

Some observations on the optimization of pre-hospital emergency medical services from the city of Iasi, Romania.

UNLABELLED: In the lasi City, with a population of 825,100 inhabitants, the number of requests for ambulance service has increased steadily for the past 17 years. One of the determining factors could be the development of the primary health care prevention. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We take into study some factors which consider influencing the reorganization of emergency medical systems in the lasi City territory. RESULTS: According to the spatial analyzes, distribution of health units in lasi City is concentrated type, developing in the downtown area, where there is also a high accessibility to health care services. There are some areas with a high population density, have low accessibility to hospital units, due to the presence of spatial network railroad as a spatial barrier, limiting interaction with other areas of the city. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis of optimization concept of Medical Services in a city like lasi is about the challenge to understand the impact of the population health towards the development and organizing the territory, and, interrelated, how we can improve the population health by the best possible organization.