Methodological approaches on medical care planning from the viewpoint of geographical allocation model: A case study on South Tama district

The authors studied the changing pattern of geographical distribution of medical facilities and population density in a suburban district of Tokyo. The data sources are the population census in Japan of 1965, 1970 and 1975, and a survey of medical institutions by the TAMA Medical Association in 1978. The district was divided into 215 unit cells by the Standard Mesh System (Japan Grid Reference System). We used the quantitative geographical method in order to analyse the development of medical facilities from the viewpoint of planning theory. According to the results, the tendency towards increase in number and sorts of medical facilities had been close to the development of the population density in the district as in the theoretical pattern of market development. However, details of the process and the tendency are slightly different from it. The authors also discuss the present situation concerning planning of medical care delivery system in Japan.