Title of article :
Factors Affecting the Location of Road Emergency Bases in Iran Using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP)
Author/Authors :
Bahadori, Mohammad karim Health Management Research Center - Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran , Hajebrahimi, Ahmad Department of Health Services Management - North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran , Alimohammadzadeh, Khalil Department of Health Services Management - North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran , Ravangard, Ramin Health Human Resources Research Center - School of Management & Information Sciences - Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz , Hosseini, Mojtaba Department of Health Services Management - North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran
Abstract :
Objective: To identify and prioritize factors affecting the location of road emergency bases in Iran using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP).Methods: This was a mixed method (quantitative-qualitative) study conducted in 2016. The participants in this study included the professionals and experts in the field of pre-hospital and road emergency services issues working in the Health Deputy of Iran Ministry of Health and Medical Education, which were selected using purposive sampling method. In this study at first, the factors affecting the location of road emergency bases in Iran were identified using literature review and conducting interviews with the experts. Then, the identified factors were scored and prioritized using the studied professionals and experts' viewpoints through using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) technique and its related pair-wise questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using MAXQDA 10.0 software to analyze the answers given to the open question and Expert Choice 10.0 software to determine the weights and priorities of the identified factors.Results: The results showed that eight factors were effective in locating the road emergency bases in Iran from the viewpoints of the studied professionals and experts in the field of pre-hospital and road emergency services issues, including respectively distance from the next base, region population, topography and geographical situation of the region, the volume of road traffic, the existence of amenities such as water, electricity, gas, etc. and proximity to the village, accident-prone sites, University ownership of the base site, and proximity to toll-house.Conclusion: Among the eight factors which were effective in locating the road emergency bases from the studied professionals and experts' perspectives, "distance from the next base" and "region population" were respectively the most important ones which had great differences with other factors.
Keywords :
EMS , Road emergency bases , Analytic hierarchy process (AHP)
Journal title :
Bulletin of Emergency and Trauma
