A novel optimization model for designing compact, balanced, and contiguous healthcare districts

Abstract

In this study, we propose a new multi-objective mathematical model for designing compact, balanced, and contiguous districts in healthcare systems. The objective functions minimize districting heterogeneity and the implementation cost of monitoring plans for promoting hygiene and public health. Expert teams perform these plans periodically by maximizing the coverage area. The purpose of the districting problem is to specify how teams are formed and allocated based on their service provision capacity and type of expertise. Improper team allocation and unsuitable service provision cause an increase in time and costs, fostering an adverse effect on the promotion of public health in the area. Compliance of the plan with the specified requirements and its implementation cost are the main factors impacting the districting problem decisions. We define two meta-heuristic algorithms including a multi-objective genetic algorithm II (NSGAII) and a multi-objective grey wolf optimizer (MOGWO) for solving the mathematical model in a real-scale because districting problems are NP-hard problems. We also present a case study taking place at a university medical centre in Iran to demonstrate the applicability and efficacy of the proposed model.

Keywords:

• Health monitoring plan
• districting problem
• bi-objective integer mathematical model
• NSGAII
• MOGWO

Acknowledgement

The authors would like to thank the anonymous reviewers and the editor for their insightful comments and suggestions. This research was partially supported by the research grant GA CR 19-13946S awarded to Dr. Tavana by the Czech Science Foundation.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 We refer the reader to the corresponding websites http://nihr.tums.ac.ir, and www.amar.org.ir/.