Feasibility study: A multi-source data approach to healthcare travel demand analysis in southeastern New Brunswick

Abstract

Healthcare-related travel is an important but often underrepresented component of transportation planning because it is infrequent, underreported, or hidden within broader trip-purpose categories. This thesis examines whether multiple data sources, three in this case, can complement each other to support healthcare travel demand analysis in southeastern New Brunswick. The Destination 2040 Household Travel Survey identified 32 healthcare-related trips, representing 0.31% of more than 10,000 trips, but contributed mode, distance, purpose, and tour-structure information needed for behavioural interpretation. The Administrative Health Data provided the strongest basis for trip generation by converting confirmed healthcare encounters into trip rates by service stream, population group, geography, and facility. Cellphone mobility data supported trip distribution and facility-catchment analysis by revealing observed facility activity, repeated presence, and broader trip sequences. The study concludes that a multi-source framework provides a stronger basis for healthcare transportation planning than any single dataset alone.