Handbook of Health Geography

Health geography is the field concerned with the analysis of spatial patterns of disease and healthcare provision. Geography encompasses the study of human-environment interaction and influences of the biophysical, social and built environment. Health geography is a holistic field, which draws on the principles and concepts of geography, and the social and biophysical sciences. Various quantitative and qualitative methodologies are incorporated for guiding such studies. The geography of health services involves the study of the access to healthcare services, their planning and delivery. Medical geographic studies of diseases are placed in the context of disease ecology, while spatial or geographic epidemiology studies focus on the spatial aspects of healthcare. This book discusses the fundamentals as well as modern approaches of health geography. It elucidates the concepts and innovative models around prospective developments with respect to health geography. This book, with its detailed analyses and data, will prove immensely beneficial to professionals and students involved in this area at various levels.