Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37351041›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of preventive medicine2023

A Fuzzy BWM-TOPSIS Framework for Identifying and Prioritizing Measures to Overcome Obstacles to the Regionalization of Iranian Healthcare Services.

Zahra Zare, Arash Haqbin, Khalil Kalavani, Payam Shojaei

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of preventive medicine, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
0.3field-weighted citation impact, top 42% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed, 1 citations in OpenAlex.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Zahra ZareDepartment of Health Services Management, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Arash HaqbinDepartment of Management, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.
Khalil KalavaniDepartment of Health Services Management, Research committee student, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
Payam ShojaeiDepartment of Management, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.
Shiraz University of Medical Sciences · IRKerman University of Medical Sciences · IRShiraz University · IR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: One of the most effective strategies to improve the access of community members to health services is to regionalize health services. The purpose of this study is to examine and prioritize measures that could help to counteract obstacles and problems in implementing the regionalization of healthcare in Iran. Methods: The study relied on a mixed research method, including qualitative and quantitative phases. First, by conducting semi-structured interviews and analyzing them through qualitative content analysis, the obstacles and measures were identified. In the quantitative phase, the obstacles identified were weighted using the fuzzy best-worst method (FBWM), and the measures were then prioritized through the fuzzy TOPSIS (FTOPSIS) method. Results: The obstacles were categorized into four main dimensions: "infrastructural," "political," "human resources," and "managerial." Among the 15 obstacles identified, "absence of performance guarantees" was the most important obstacle, while "insufficient education" was the least important obstacle to the regionalization of healthcare services in Iran. Meanwhile, the following eight measures that could help to overcome the obstacles were extracted from the interviews: "conducting a needs assessment," "providing clinical guidelines," "employing specialized human resources," "reinforcing the referral system," and "preparing electronic health records," "enhancing education and information dissimilation," "building executive support," and "providing cost-effective equipment and technology." "Employing specialized human resources" was also the most effective measure to overcome the obstacles. Conclusions: Iranian healthcare policy-makers can use the empirical findings of this investigation to accelerate the implementation of Iran's regionalization plan to improve the access of community members to healthcare services.

Indexed as

Fuzzy best-worst methodfuzzy TOPSISmedical servicesregionalization

Identifiers

PMID37351041
PMCPMC10284241
OpenAlexW4381716797

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-SA
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.