Potential Spatial Accessibility to Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (pPCI) Facilities in the Republic of Serbia for the Year 2030

This cross-sectional study evaluates the potential spatial accessibility of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) facilities in the Republic of Serbia (RS) for the year 2030. Cardiovascular diseases, specifically acute myocardial infarction (AMI), are major contributors to mortality, requiring immediate intervention to reestablish blood circulation to the heart. This research employs travel time isochrone analysis to assess the percentage of the population residing within three specific time intervals (30, 60, and 90 min) from a pPCI facility. We project the percentage of the population residing within a 30 min travel time interval to be 50% in 2030. Additionally, the percentage of the population residing within the 90 min travel time interval from a pPCI facility, i.e., known as the “golden hour” travel time distance, is around 96%, with some weekly variations that equate to 1%. We utilized additional spatial analysis to identify population clusters that reside beyond the 90 min travel time from a pPCI facility. These results point to specific regions where either additional pPCI facilities or better road connections would most effectively reduce treatment delays. Additionally, the study highlighted the optimal location for a novel pPCI facility, which is the city of Vršac. Our findings underline the need for careful planning in the health system, where location and transport data can directly guide measures to improve access and lower cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality.