Availability of radiological examinations in remote areas with low population density (case study: Khanty-Mansi autonomous okrug – Yugra)

This study examines the spatial accessibility of radiological diagnostic services – including computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound (US), and others – for the population of 1,759,386 residents of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug – Yugra, based on data from Rosstat, the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, and a digital road network. Using network analysis, average travel distances to the nearest medical facilities were calculated as follows: 19.0 km for fluorography (FG)/radiography (RG), 23.7 km for CT, 28.4 km for mammography (MMG), 104.3 km for MRI, and 356.6 km for radionuclide diagnostics. It was determined that 85% of the population resides within 15 km of at least one diagnostic facility. The findings indicate that while basic radiological services are accessible to the majority of residents, specialized modalities are predominantly concentrated in major medical centers. These results underscore the critical importance of applying geospatial modeling tools for the effective planning and equitable distribution of healthcare infrastructure in sparsely populated and geographically remote regions.