Assessing and ranking the East Azerbaijan province in terms of the enjoyment of health indicators in 2007-2014

Abstract

Abstract Background & Aims: Health indices with regarding its role of society, are the most important indices of the development of the country. Success of national development programs largely depends on the goals of this section. Enjoyment of healthcare facilities and its equitable distribution in different geographical areas are essential to achieve these goals. The aim of this study was identify and rank of East Azerbaijan province counties in terms of indices of healthcare facilities. Materials & Methods: This study is a descriptive, quantitative and analytical. Study sample included the counties of East Azerbaijan province were ranked based on 15 health indices. Data was collected by a data collection form made by the researcher using statistical yearbook. These indices were weighted using Fuzzy AHP, then using the TOPSIS technique, each of the counties in terms of healthcare facilities have been assessed. Results: The findings showed that there existed distinct regional disparities in health in East Azerbaijan province and the significant difference was observed between the cities in terms of development. Fuzzy AHP introduced the GP per capita as the most important indicator and the proportion of rehabilitation center per capita as the less important indicator. According to TOPSIS, the Hashtrud county for five years and Malekan county also for five years (0.1151) ranked the first and last in enjoyment to health services. Conclusion: According to findings, there are great differences between the cities of the East Azerbaijan province in benefiting from health care facilities and services. Therefore, it is recommended to officials and policy-makers to determine priorities for a balanced and equitable distribution of health care facilities in the province in the regional planning and resource and funds allocation levels.