Optimizing Hospital Site Selection and Healthcare Accessibility through GIS-Based Multi-Criteria and Service Area Analysis: A case study of Stockholm County
2024 (English)Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (One Year)), 10 credits / 15 HE credits
Student thesis
Abstract [en]
Health centers are an important part of social services because they serve a large population andcontribute to societal health. When making spatial decisions, such as site selection or land useallocation, decision-makers must analyze various aspects to determine the optimal option. Selectingthe best hospital location from a range of options can be challenging and complex. The aim of thisstudy is to identify the best locations for hospitals in Stockholm County by utilizing GeographicInformation Science (GIS) and Multi-Criteria Decision-Analysis (MCDA). The research also aims toassess the accessibility of existing and potential hospital locations based on travel time by car andpublic transportation, particularly by train. In this study, the rank sum weights method is utilizedalongside the traditional Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) weighting technique to enhance theevaluation of hospital site suitability. The analysis is conducted using four constraint maps and sixfactor maps, with AHP weights assigned to each factor map based on prior studies. The results suggestthree potential hospital locations in the study area as per the AHP method, with similar outcomesobserved using the rank sum weight method. This methodology can be further improved byincorporating additional criteria and adapted for use in diverse geographical regions. In summary, theresearch identified three possible locations for hospitals in the study area, each offering uniqueaccessibility advantages.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2024. , p. iii+36
Keywords [en]
Geographical Information Science (GIS), Multi-Criteria Decision-Analysis (MCDA), hospital site suitability, Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), rank sum weight method
National Category
Earth and Related Environmental Sciences
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:hig:diva-45215OAI: oai:DiVA.org:hig-45215DiVA, id: diva2:1883803
Subject / course
Geomatics
Educational program
Geomatics – master’s programme (one year) (swe or eng)
Supervisors
Examiners
2024-11-052024-07-112025-10-02Bibliographically approved