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Objective. This study aimed to map the geographic distribution of tertiary hospitals in Australia’s most populous cities. Good access to hospital facilities improves the health and welfare of a community. The use of geographic information system (GIS) technology can assist in understanding spacial accessibility to services. Methods. Using Quantum GIS, a geodatabase was constructed to incorporate hospital locations and demographic distribution data throughout Australia’s 20 most populous cities. Data on the population’s age groups were integrated into the geodatabase to investigate the distribution of age groups and their utilisation of access to emergency departments in tertiary public health care. Overall this study reported the geospatial distribution of 89 tertiary hospitals and the demographics of the population in areas around these hospitals. Results. The majority of hospitals were located in the three most populated cities of New South Wales (NSW), Sydney, Wollongong and Newcastle, which contain a total of 32 hospitals, with 23 (72%) of the hospitals in Sydney. There were 7.8, 24.0, 53.4 and 81.0% of the population in NSW within 1.5, 3, 6 and 50 km of the hospitals, respectively. The second-highest number of hospitals was in Victoria (n = 22), with 18 (82%) hospitals located in Melbourne. This was followed by Queensland (n = 14), with eight (57%) hospitals located in Brisbane. Conclusions. The results indicate that 82.2% of the Australian population lives within a 50 km radius of a tertiary hospital, with NSW having higher age distribution percentages than the other states. The results of this study could be used to locate and improve areas of need with a high burden of disease and low accessibility to healthcare services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Using Google online reviews, this study investigated why patients were satisfied or dissatisfied with their public dental clinic in Victoria, Australia. Methods: This mixed methods study gathered Google reviews published by users pre-March, 2021. The reviews were coded and subthemes and major themes were identified. The most common reasons why patients gave reviews were tabulated and stratified according to star rating, remoteness and accessibility index classification, and socio-economic status. Results: Of the 522 reviews included in this study, in 317 (60.7%) satisfaction was expressed. Compliments and complaints were documented. A total of 53 subthemes were identified. Major themes included Treatment, Staff, Communication and Professionalism, Patient Factors and Non-Clinical Reasons. From the reviews, more patients were satisfied with general unspecified treatment (n = 195; 14.7%) and dissatisfied with reception staff (n = 64; 4.8%). More reviews were generated by patients who visited clinics in major cities and lower socio-economic areas. Conclusion: This study found that most patients expressed satisfaction and identified reasons why patients were satisfied or dissatisfied. Consumer feedback, including compliments and complaints, is an integral aspect of monitoring and improving health service quality. It is important to continue seeking feedback and improve accordingly. What is known about the topic? Research has identified common factors for patient satisfaction or dissatisfaction with dental clinics including: facilities and location, waiting list time, cost, gentleness during procedures, communication, and staffing. What does this paper add? This study identified causes of patient satisfaction and dissatisfaction with Victorian public dental clinics. The focus is on the Victorian public dental system because almost half of the eligible population for public dental services are not utilising them. What are the implications for practitioners? Practitioners can use this study to self-reflect and improve the quality of health service delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to develop a method for the analysis of the influence of public transport supply in a large city (Melbourne) on the access to emergency dental treatment. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tools were used to associate the geographical distribution of patients (and their socioeconomic status) with accessibility (through public transport supply, i.e. bus, tram and/or train) to emergency dental care. The methodology used allowed analysis of the socioeconomic status of patient residential areas and both spatial location and supply frequency of public transport by using existing data from patient records, census and transport departments. In metropolitan Melbourne, a total of 13 784 patients met the inclusion criteria for the study sample, of which 95% (n = 13 077) were living within a 50 km radius of the Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne. Low socioeconomic areas had a higher demand for dental emergency care in the Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne. Public transport supply was similar across the various socioeconomic strata in the population, with 80% of patients having good access to public transport. However, when considering only high-frequency bus stops, the percentage of patients living within 400 m from a bus stop dropped to 65%. Despite this, the number of patients (adjusted to the population) coming from areas not supplied by public transport, and from areas with good or poor public transport supply, was similar. The methodology applied in the present study highlights the importance of evaluating not only the spatial distribution but also the frequency of public transport supply when studying access to services. This methodology can be extrapolated to other settings to identity transport/access patterns for a variety of services.