GIS-based spatial analysis of transportation accessibility to emergency medical services: A case study of Smolyan district, Bulgaria

Spatial accessibility of healthcare facilities may result in substantial differences in the population’s access to medical care. This is a topic of great public importance that needs effective planning based on contemporary spatial technologies and analytical approaches. The aim of the present study is to demonstrate how the application of spatial analyses, tailored to the specific context, contributes to identifying gaps in the existing organization of emergency medical services in mountainous areas and enables a more comprehensive and robust assessment of transport accessibility. By integrating three complementary analytical approaches—Service Area, Closest Facility, and Origin–Destination Cost Matrix analyses within a single methodological framework, the present study provides a comprehensive assessment of travel times from emergency medical care branches to the settlements they serve, as well as an evaluation of branch service areas in terms of their spatial extent. The analyses identified shortcomings that could be addressed with reorganization and low-cost optimization measures, thus demonstrating their efficiency in identifying limitations in the current allocation of service areas among the emergency medical care branches. The study is based on carefully selected data and was conducted with a strong emphasis on maximizing both accuracy and practical applicability.