Improving the Distribution of Rural Health Houses Using Elicitation and GIS in Khuzestan Province (the Southwest of Iran)

Improving the Distribution of Rural Health Houses Using Elicitation and GIS in Khuzestan Province (the Southwest of Iran)

Background Rural health houses constitute a major provider of some primary health services in the villages of Iran. Given the challenges of providing health services in rural areas, health houses should be established based on the criteria of health network systems (HNSs). The value of these criter...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ali Mohammadi, Ali Valinejadi, Sara Sakipour, Morteza Hemmat, Javad Zarei, Hesamedin Askari Majdabadi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Kerman University of Medical Sciences 2018-04-01
Series:International Journal of Health Policy and Management
Subjects:
health houses should be established based on the criteria of health network systems (HNSs). The value of these criteria and their precedence over others have not yet been thoroughly investigated. The present study was conducted to propose a model for improving the distribution of rural health houses in HNSs. Methods The present applied study was conducted in Khuzestan province in the southwest of Iran in 2014-2016. First
the descriptive and spatial data required were collected and entered into ArcGIS after modifications
and the Geodatabase was then created. Based on the criteria of the HNS and according to experts’ opinions
the main criteria and the sub-criteria for an optimal site selection were determined. To determine the criteria’s coefficient of importance (ie
their weight)
the main criteria and the sub-criteria were compared in pairs according to experts’ opinions. The results of the pairwise comparisons were entered into Expert Choice and the weight of the main criteria and the sub-criteria were determined using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). The application layers were then formed in geographic information system (GIS). A model was ultimately proposed in the GIS for the optimal distribution of rural health houses by overlaying the weighting layers and the other layers related to villages and rural health houses. Results Based on the experts’ opinions
six criteria were determined as the main criteria for an optimal site selection for rural health houses
including welfare infrastructures
population
dispersion
accessibility
corresponding routes
distance to the rural health center and the absence of natural barriers to accessibility. Of the main criteria proposed
Rural Health
Geographic Information System (GIS)
Iran
Rural Health Services
Online Access:http://www.ijhpm.com/article_3408_dc154418a2e77eba30b1ecb6dc087a31.pdf

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http://www.ijhpm.com/article_3408_dc154418a2e77eba30b1ecb6dc087a31.pdf

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