Identifying geographically isolated areas and residents of Region of Crete from the public healthcare service

Abstract

The social exclusion, as presented in any form, is a phenomenon that exists many years, and it reveals the inaccessibility of a person or group to goods and services. The past few years this phenomenon, in every form and scale that may occur, is a subject of further research, aiming to its successful understanding, quantifying and proper treatment. This work describes the methodology for identifying the geographic areas and the excluded residents from the good of public health services of the Region of Crete using the method of 'network analysis' and the creation of 'service areas'. Based on the international literature and the investigations that have been implemented, the required time of access to General Hospital is up to 60 minutes and to Primary Care Services is up to 30 minute. As resulted from the survey, 4.48% of the population of the study area does not have access to General Hospital, while the 2.76 % of the population does not have access to Primary Care Services.