A spatial analysis of the geographic distribution of musculoskeletal and general practice healthcare clinics in Auckland,New Zealand

Despite the high incidence of musculoskeletal health problems in New Zealand, the use of specialised musculoskeletal healthcare providers appears to be limited to a small subsection of society. Analysis of the spatial distribution of musculoskeletal and general practice clinics in Auckland, New Zealand was undertaken to understand the geographical component of the issue of musculoskeletal healthcare accessibility. The locations of all physiotherapy, chiropractic, osteopathic, podiatry, acupuncture and general practitioner (GP) clinics in urban Auckland were mapped and analysed using a combination of spatial statistical tools. Results showed a contrast between the distribution of the predominantly privately-funded musculoskeletal clinics, which appeared clustered in central areas of the city, and predominantly publicly-funded GP clinics, which appeared more evenly spread across the study area. Several physical and social environmental variables appeared to be correlated with clinic location, including clinic proximity to major roads and urban centres, and residential socioeconomic status and ethnicity. This study represents a first step in understanding the underlying causes of the demographic divide between users and non-users of musculoskeletal healthcare. These results may help to inform the development of strategies to improve the accessibility of musculoskeletal healthcare services for people living or working in areas with low provision of musculoskeletal clinics.