Radosław Wolniak

Silesian University of Technology,

Gliwice, Poland

E-mail: radoslaw.wolniak@polsl

ORCID 0000-0003-0317-9811

Hospital distribution in Polish provinces as a factor of smart living

Abstract. The primary aim of this research paper is to investigate the distribution of hospitals across different regions in Poland. It provides an in-depth analysis of hospital distribution in Poland, emphasizing the significance of taking into account factors such as population size and accessibility when assessing the quantity of hospitals as a determinant of quality of life in a smart city. This analysis is based on data concerning hospital operations in Poland spanning the years 2012 to 2021. It explores a range of indicators, including the number of hospitals per province, the ratio of hospitals per 1,000 square kilometers within a province's geographical area, and the relationship between the availability of hospitals and the GDP per capita. One noteworthy aspect of this paper is its utilization of cluster analysis to identify groups of provinces that exhibit similarities with respect to these indicators. Surprisingly, the research findings challenge the conventional division of regions into "Poland A" and "Poland B" based on wealth. Instead, the study reveals an unexpected outcome: a positive correlation of 0.81 between the number of hospitals and GDP per capita. This suggests that more prosperous provinces tend to have a greater number of hospitals available.

Received: February, 2023

1st Revision: March, 2024

Accepted: March, 2024

DOI: 10.14254/2071-789X.2024/17-1/9

JEL Classification: I11, I15, I18

Keywords: smart city, smart living, quality of life, hospitals, cluster analysis