Ranking Iranian Provinces in Terms of Access to Healthcare Indicators with Emphasis on Yazd Province

Abstract

Background: Ranking provinces in terms of access to healthcare services facilitates a more accurate planning in order to identify the potential and weaknesses and fair allocation of the budgets of the Ministry of Health. Therefore, the present study is carried out with the aim of ranking the provinces of the country and also investigating the position of Yazd province in terms of access to the indicators of the health sector. Methods: In terms of purpose, the present study is considered to be of an applied type with a survey-descriptive nature, and cross-sectional, in terms of time. The statistical population included all provinces of Yazd. The data which is required to access indicators of the health and treatment sector were extracted based on the information of the country's statistical yearbook in 2018. Shannon and TOPSIS entropy method and Excel 2016 and TOPSIS 2016 software were used to perform the analysis. Results: Entropy weighting method showed that medical diagnosis laboratory and genetic index had the highest weight and rehabilitation centers had the lowest weight.TOPSIS ranking method showed that regarding access to healthcare indicators, Yazd province was in the fourth place, and South Khorasan, and Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari provinces were in the first and second places. West Azarbaijan province came in last place. Conclusion: Laboratory indicators of medical diagnosis and genetics, pharmacists, general practitioners, emergency centers and beds in medical institutions respectively have the highest weights and effects in the ranking of provinces from regarding access to health and treatment indicators. Therefore, it is suggested to the planners and officials of the health and treatment sector to determine the priorities according to the extent the provinces benefit the mentioned indicators. This is done in order to increase ranking and reduce the inequalities. In order to reduce imbalance, health policymakers and officials are recommended to consider the developmental rankings of the provinces while allocating resources.