TITLE:
A GIS-Based Decision Support System for Reducing Air Ambulance Response Times: A Case Study on Public Schools in Jeddah City
AUTHORS:
Randa Alharbi
KEYWORDS:
GIS, DSS, Air Ambulance, Response Time, Jeddah
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geographic Information System,
Vol.7 No.4,
August
12,
2015
ABSTRACT: In injuries reducing
ambulance response time (time from injury to hospital arrival) is an important
factor for saving people’s lives. Helicopter emergency medical services can
reduce out-of-hospital transport times because of their high speed and their
ability to travel in straight pathsunlike
ground ambulance which are restricted to road network paths, as well as the
ability toaccess rural or remote area injuries that are difficult to reach by
ground ambulance. GIS technology aids air ambulance movement planning to reduce
out-of-hospital response time based on mathematical and geographic models to
support decision making which is necessary from out-of-hospital care providers.
The goal of this study is to use GIS to develop an efficient DSS to outline
where air ambulance can reduce response times, by using spatial analysis tools
to create Euclidean distance and direction zones around receiving hospitals.
The study concludes that GIS technology can be used to develop an efficient DSS
to outline where air ambulance can reduce response times, by creating surfaces
of Euclidean allocation, direction, and distance that can be used to improve
initial response times for the civil defense air rescue and air ambulance
services.