Access to health services in the North Shore:
Identifying vulnerable populations

Limited access to health services continues to be a major determinant of health in British Columbia; as access to and utilization of primary and other health services diminishes so do the health outcomes of individuals seeking care.

This project provides a model for determining areas of limited access, both physical and social, to health services (Chronic Disease services and Lions Gate Hospital services) in the North Shore of Vancouver, British Columbia using GIS.  In total, 7 dissemination areas were identified as “vulnerable populations” based on their distance travel time to health services and relatively lower socio-economic status score.

The implications of this research may be particularly important in a Canadian context with respect to its vast geographic region and large population of rural and remote communities.