Application of fuzzy TOPSIS for prioritization of patients on elective surgeries waiting list - A novel multi-criteria decision-making approach

Prioritizing patients is a growing concern in healthcare. Once resources are limited, prioritization is considered an effective and viable solution in provision of healthcare treatment to awaiting patients. Prioritization is a preferred approach that helps clinicians to apportion scarce resources fairly and transparently. In this study, a novel methodology of prioritizing the patient is formulated using fuzzy Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). The objective is based on actual hospital conditions in Pakistan. The proposed methodology has two contributions: objective scoring mechanism that translates the patient’s condition given in human linguistic terms; and second methodology to prioritize patients according to corresponding scores. To validate the proposed methodology, simulation was carried out on actual data collected in real-time by surgeons, while providing consultations to their patients. The proposed methodology outperforms the traditional methodology by reducing average waiting time by 34% (from 4.246 to 2.810 days), minimize wait time and delays by 46.7% (from 15 to 8 days), and number of surgery days by 18%. The majority of the previously presented researched methodologies prioritize the patients subjectively. This study presents an objective methodology to prioritize the patients and decrease wait-times while ensuring transparency and equity.