Supply-demand matching of medical services at a city level under the background of hierarchical diagnosis and treatment - based on Didi Chuxing Data in Haikou, China

BACKGROUND: Implementation of the Healthy China Strategy and the hierarchical diagnosis and treatment system has injected new vitality into medical services. Given the insufficient supply of medical services and increasing demand for medical treatment, exploring the supply-demand pattern of medical services has become an urgent theoretical and practical problem to be solved. The equity of healthcare facilities has received widespread attention, but due to limited data, there is little research on the supply-demand pattern of medical services. This study focuses on evaluating the supply-demand matching pattern of medical services at different levels in Haikou City with big geographic data and promoting the realization of a balance between medical supply and demand. METHODS: This study utilizes spatial data of medical institutions, Didi Chuxing Data, and population density data. Firstly, use the two-step floating catchment area method and GIS spatial analysis to explore characteristics of the supply-demand patterns of medical services at different levels in Haikou. Secondly, we mine residents’ demand for medical treatment based on Didi Chuxing Data. Then combined with population density data, divide supply-demand matching of medical institutions into four types. Finally, propose optimization strategies for the problems. RESULTS: The accessibility pattern of high-level medical institutions in Haikou presents high in the north and low in the south. The accessibility pattern of low-level medical institutions is the opposite. High-level medical institutions have a strong demand for medical treatment, which is less hampered by distance. The healthcare demand of low-level medical institutions is small, and they mainly are medium- and short-distance medical travel. The types of medical services at different levels are mainly “low supply - low demand” and “high supply - low demand” types. CONCLUSIONS: Medical services at different levels in Haikou are mainly in supply-demand imbalance. Therefore, we put forward optimization strategies to promote the equity of primary medical services, such as propelling the establishment and improvement of the hierarchical diagnosis and treatment system, building a new model of medical and health service supply, and strengthening balanced coverage of primary medical institutions. The mining of big geographic data is beneficial to alleviate the mismatch between medical supply and demand, although the data and methods need to be improved.