AUTHOR=Gu Hong , Cai Yu-Feng , Sun Kun , Zhao Tian-Fang 

TITLE=Equity and spatial accessibility of healthcare resources in online health community network

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Physics

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physics/articles/10.3389/fphy.2023.1336624

DOI=10.3389/fphy.2023.1336624

ISSN=2296-424X

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Introduction:</bold> This study investigates the geographical distribution and fractal characteristics of the medical service network in China, using the “Good Doctor website” as a case study.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> Data for this study were extracted from the Good Doctor website Health Community. A two-tiered hierarchical network model was developed to analyze the geographical distribution and fractal characteristics of the medical service network in China.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> Results unveil the hierarchical nature of hospital distribution and the interconnectivity among healthcare institutions. Shandong Province as a central node within the national hospital network, and networks of secondary hospitals show significant self-similarity and scale-free properties.</p><p><bold>Discussion:</bold> The small world and fractal characteristics shed light on the rapid dissemination of medical information and the robustness of the healthcare network. The results offer a novel perspective for understanding and optimizing the distribution of medical resources, and help improve the efficiency of healthcare services supply.</p>