Geospatial Intelligence–Driven Patient Flow Optimization and Health Equity Monitoring in Urban Hospitals

Abstract

Urban hospitals face increasing challenges in managing patient flow, resource allocation, and healthcare access. This paper suggests using geospatial intelligence (GI) frameworks, adapted from environmental compliance monitoring systems, to address these issues. Research on waste management frameworks demonstrates how hotspot detection, dashboards, and risk algorithms can identify congestion, optimize resources, and monitor health equity in cities. A review of over 18 studies highlights GIS applications in healthcare, including accessibility modeling, emergency services, and equity. The proposed framework has five parts: data collection, hotspot detection, real-time dashboards, resource prioritization, and feedback. This systematic approach helps hospitals shift from reactive to proactive, spatially aware management. It can improve the emergency department. congestion, ambulance dispatch, facility planning, and equity surveillance, offering scalable solutions to enhance efficiency, reduce disparities, and prepare for emergencies.