Geographies of Health

An important dimension in the study of human health and healthcare is the adoption of a geographical perspective to the study of disease. Medical geography focuses on the analysis of spatial patterns of disease and the provision of healthcare. Medical geographic studies place diseases in the theoretical context of disease ecology. The study of health services and the spatial access to healthcare, health services planning and healthcare delivery are encompassed within this field. Health geography can be divided into two distinct segments. The first focuses on the geographies of disease and sickness, using disease statistics and distributions, and analytical research that strives to determine the factors that make individuals and a population susceptible to disease. The second component uses spatial analysis and behavioral economics to the study of health facility location, healthcare accessibility and utilization. This book aims to shed light on some of the unexplored aspects of the geographies of health and the recent researches in this field. Different approaches, evaluations, methodologies and advanced studies on medical and health geography have been included herein. It is a collective contribution of a renowned group of international experts.