Mobility and Logistics as a Service for Healthcare (MLaaS4H): Transport Planning Processes for Enhancing Sustainable People Mobility to Healthcare Facilities

Abstract

Rapid urbanisation poses increasingly complex sustainability challenges, while transport systems remain essential for enabling people and businesses to conduct daily activities and access critical services. This study investigates the interactions between passenger and freight mobility and the healthcare sector and proposes Mobility and Logistics as a Service for Healthcare (MLaaS4H), an integrated framework for the sustainable planning of healthcare-related mobility and logistics. The framework aims to support decision-making and service design by combining advanced transport system models (TSMs) with emerging information and communication technologies (e-ICTs), thereby improving accessibility to healthcare facilities and the efficiency of service provision. The proposed planning process comprises two complementary paths. The external path connects the spatial, temporal, and deepening dimensions of transport and healthcare planning, whereas the internal path adopts the Logical Framework Approach (LFA) to establish a transparent causal chain linking invested resources, implemented activities, outputs, outcomes, and long-term goals. Indicators associated with each component are connected through exogenous and endogenous functions, enabling quantitative assessment of the efficiency and effectiveness of MLaaS4H solutions. An illustrative case study demonstrates how coordinated healthcare appointments, public transport services, integrated digital platforms, and rebooking mechanisms can increase access opportunities, reduce temporal mismatches, support vulnerable users, and mitigate private vehicle dependence. While the example addresses passenger mobility, TSMs are equally applicable to freight transport and logistics activities. The proposed framework provides a structured basis for ex ante evaluation and coordinated planning and is intended for researchers in the healthcare and mobility fields, as well as practitioners involved in decision-making and implementation processes.