Barrier Category Research Articles

Facilitators and barriers to contraception access and use for Hispanic American adolescent women: An integrative literature review.

Hispanic American adolescents experience high rates of pregnancy with profound consequences. Compared with White teens, Hispanic teens use contraception less frequently and often choose less effective forms of contraception. Access to contraception is a primary barrier to use which contributes to relatively high and disparate rates of pregnancy in Hispanic teens. This integrative review identifies facilitators and barriers of contraception access and use for Hispanic women, 13-17 years of age, living in the U.S. Following the Whittemore and Knafl (2005) methodology and PRISMA guidelines, peer reviewed studies were retrieved from PUBMED, CINAHL and EMBASE. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool was used to assess the study quality and thematic analysis was used to categorize barriers and facilitators. Of 131 studies retrieved, 16 met inclusion criteria. Individual, interpersonal and healthcare provider factors were identified as primary categories of barriers and facilitators with structural issues comprising an additional barrier category. Individual level barriers were disproportionately represented and further categorized into themes: beliefs/misconceptions, dislike of contraception, pregnancy risk perception, lack of knowledge, and lack of control. Barriers related to cultural and religious influences were identified in individual, interpersonal and structural levels. The most frequently reported facilitators were perceived parent comfort discussing sexual health and past experience of pregnancy. Limitations in this review may stem from heterogeneity in the acculturation and geography of participants and analysis by a single reviewer. Implications include considering the range of information sources and the influence they have on risk perception and risk mitigation for this population. Adolescents describe many modifiable influences on contraception access and use. Misperceptions related to contraception, stemming from beliefs and perceptions, can be corrected through increased access to reliable sources of sex education, parental support, and direct access to nurses and healthcare providers. Awareness of these influences can inform further research and intervention development to address these health disparities.

Barriers to uptake of referral services from secondary eye care to tertiary eye care and its associated determinants in L V Prasad Eye Institute network in Southern India: A cross-sectional study-Report II.

To investigate the barriers to the uptake of referral services from secondary care centers (SC) to a higher-level tertiary care center (TC) in Southern India. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Mahabubnagar district of Telangana, India, between February 1, 2018 to January 31, 2019 and all those referred from SC to TC between January 1, 2013 to December 30, 2016 were identified for interview. Based on inclusion criteria, of the 960 participants identified, 681 (70.9%) participated in the study. A validated study questionnaire was administered to all participants. Information collected were the demographic details, details related to their referral and barriers to referral. The participants that presented at TC were considered compliant and who did not, were non-compliant. Reasons for non-compliance was also collected. The mean age those interviewed was 46.1 years (SD: 17.3 years) and 429 (63%) were males and 252 (37%) were females. Overall, 516 (75.8%) were compliant, and 165 (24.2%) were non-compliant. The major factors for non-compliance were economic (16.4%) and attitudinal (44.2%) barriers. Within the attitudinal barrier category, the most prevalent individual attitudinal barriers were 'too busy to go to the eye center for treatment (16.4%)'and 'able to manage routine daily activities with current vision (12.1%)'. The multivariable analysis showed that the non-compliant participants had only visited the SC once prior to the referral (odds ratio: 2.82; 95% CI: 1.43-5.57) (p = 0.003). Participants with only one SC visit, were less likely to comply with referrals and the major barriers to compliance were economical and attitudinal. It is important to address these specific barriers to provide proper counseling to participants during referrals.

Challenges of Smart Cities: Methods of Prioritization

Smart city development has gotten considerable recognition in systematic literature and international policies throughout the world. The study aims to identify the key barriers to smart cities from the review of existing literature and the views of experts in this area. This work further made an attempt on the prioritization of barriers to recognize the most important barrier category and ranking of specific barriers within the categories to the development of smart cities in India. Through the existing literature, this work explored 31 barriers to smart cities development and divided them into six categories. This research work employed the fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) technique to prioritize the selected barriers. Findings reveal that ‘Governance’ is documented as the most significant category of barriers to smart city development followed by ‘Economic; ‘Technology’; ‘Social’; ‘Environmental’ and ‘Legal and Ethical’. In this work, author also performed sensitivity analysis to show how robust is the findings of study. This research is useful to the government and policymakers for eradicating the potential interferences in smart city development initiatives in developing country like India.

#6634 PATIENTS' PERSPECTIVES ON HAEMODIALYSIS ACCESS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

Abstract Background and Aims There is high quality evidence that favours the use of arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) over central venous catheters (CVCs) for haemodialysis access, based on the association with lowest mortality and fewest complications [1]. However, less is known regarding patient and nurse preferences concerning access choices and the drivers underlying these preferences. One previous study [2] identified physical concerns regarding fistulas as the predominant barrier preventing patients with a CVC from switching to an AVF. Here we provide an expansion on these barriers, alongside novel exploration of nursing opinion on access choice. Methods Data was collected through individually administered patient surveys across 4 regional dialysis sites in East Anglia (n = 380), and anonymised online survey requests to nursing staff at the sites. Deductive and inductive strategies were employed for analysis of the qualitative data. The aim of the thematic analysis of the data was to determine the preferred access modality of patients and nurses, and the drivers for the preferences. Results 63% (n = 238) of patients responded to the questionnaire. Patient responses fell into one of four categories; drivers toward, or barriers against AVFs or CVCs. The largest of these categories was the barriers for AVFs, within which four main themes were identified: ‘Fear’, ‘difficult AVF surgery’, ‘patient preference for lines’ or ‘patients awaiting AVF surgery or transplant’. A smaller theme of ‘insufficient information’ regarding access choice was also identified. ‘Fear’ was the largest theme, within which five subthemes were identified: fear of needles, pain, bleeding, fistula appearance, or fear of complications heard from other patients on the dialysis unit. ‘Difficult AVF surgery’ encompassed two subthemes; those who have had previous failed traumatic attempts or those whose current vascular architecture was not amenable to fistula surgery. The other three categories received far fewer responses. The AVF driver category focussed on fistulas being preferred medically with reduced infection risk, whilst drivers for lines included it being ‘comfortable’ and patients saying that the line works for them. The one comment in the CVC barrier category cited difficulties experienced with lines like blockages and infections. 13 responses were received from dialysis nurses. All respondents were aware of the medical preference for patients to have a fistula, and the reasons why. Nurses themselves also preferred their patients to have fistulas, referencing the same reasons. However, most nurses thought patients preferred CVCs, and were able to cite the same reasons as the patients themselves. Lastly, nurses reported that they convey the benefits and risks of different access types correctly when asked by patients at the dialysis units. Conclusion These findings highlight that, whilst doctors and nurses focus on long-term health benefits of AVF when discussing vascular access choices, patients are focussed on the immediate potential risks of an AVF. We hypothesise that, whilst dialysing, patients share stories of fistula-related complications that drive short-term fear of AVFs, with such impact that the messages conveyed by health professionals are often negated. This difference in agendas is essential to acknowledge. The relationship between clinician, nurse and patient in the haemodialysis setting is unique given its longevity, frequency of contact, and holistic nature. Implementing a strategy to bridge this agenda gap could strengthen this relationship and provide a basis for optimum, evidence-based treatment. We therefore suggest the use of positive patient AVF experiences, delivered via peer education sessions, as a tool to introduce drivers for, and uptake of, AVF for dialysis patients in the future.

A framework to measure readiness and barriers for the implementation of Industry 4.0: A case approach

Large businesses perceive the vital usefulness of Industry 4.0. They recognize how beneficial its implementation is to reinforce business competitiveness and to conserve, or even better, to increase their market share. Hence, top business management has embraced the challenge of the time: to evaluate the current level of digitization with the objective of proceeding to a full digitization phase in the future. With this concern, this paper proposes a framework to assist industries in promoting Industry 4.0 through two phases. In the initial phase, the case company’s level of readiness is evaluated, and in the second phase, the barriers that exist within the implementation of Industry 4.0 (based on the company’s readiness, obtained from the previous phase) are analyzed. Both phases have been carried out at a Danish case industry which is a third-tier supplier of anti-noise shims and back plates for manufacturers of disc brake linings. In the first phase, the assessment of readiness for Industry 4.0 demonstrates that the case industry is not fully ready; instead, they reside in the position of Industry 3.5 (in the middle of 3.0 and 4.0 revolutions). The limiting barriers to change for Industry 4.0 implementation are identified during the systematic literature review and analyzed using the DEMATEL method based on the industrial decision-makers’ responses in the second phase. Moreover, the analysis demonstrates the most influential barrier category is the policy & organization category. The barrier “leadership” is considered the greater influencer of all since it responds in some way to almost all 21 barriers. Thus, leadership is the most significant barrier a company must overcome to adopt the Industry 4.0 concept. In addition, firms are challenged by the organizational changes that the adoption of Industry 4.0 will bring, and the tool of organizational change management will be handy.

Interprofessional professionalism as a motivating force in interprofessional collaboration.

Professionalism has been recognized as an essential component of inter-professional collaboration (IPC), and hence this study aimed at exploring elements of inter-professional professionalism (IPP) affecting IPC among surgery teams. This qualitative study had been conducted from 2019 to 2021. Fifteen participants in surgery teams including surgeons, anesthesia nursing, and surgical technology nursing at hospitals of Shahid Sadoughi University were contributed to this study. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed through inductive content analysis, an approach introduced by Lundman and Graneheim. Data analysis process included the following: (i) Developing verbatim transcriptionofinterview, (ii) Extracting semantic units and classifying them under the top compact unit, (iii) Summarizing and classifying the compact units and selecting appropriate labels for them, and (iv) Sorting subcategories according to their similarities and differences. Two hundreds and forty-two codes, five sub-categories, two categories, and a theme entitled "reciprocal accountability in IPP" were extracted. The barrier category was named "weakness in accountability to team-based values" and the facilitator category was called "responsibility of maintaining empathetic relationship within the IP team". Development of IPP and professional values (e.g., altruism, empathetic communication, and accountability to individual's and team's roles) can facilitate collaborative processes among different professions.

Patient and healthcare team recommended medication adherence strategies for hydroxychloroquine: results of a qualitative study informing intervention development

ObjectivePatients identified as black and from disadvantaged backgrounds have a twofold higher hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) non-adherence, which contributes to worse lupus outcomes and disparities. Yet, most adherence interventions lack tailored strategies...

Identification and analysis of barriers for harnessing geothermal energy in India

The Indian Government envisaged generating 10 GW using geothermal power by 2030. Reaching this milestone is linked with numerous challenges, as geothermal exploitation in India is in the nascent stages. In this work, possible barrier categories and barriers to harness geothermal energy in India are identified with the help of literature review and questionnaire-based surveys. Fuzzy Delphi method is used to find the significant barriers among the listed. Subsequently, Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (Fuzzy AHP) is used to determine the relative dominance of each barrier category and the barriers within each category. Outcomes of this research show that the resource barrier category obtained highest priority. This category includes various barriers such as (i) conceptualization of geothermal reservoir, (ii) estimation of theoretical heat energy, (iii) determination of extractable power, and (iv) selection of suitable extraction schemes. Results suggest that a comprehensive conceptual model presenting the subsurface variation of thermo-hydro-geological parameters with depth at a geothermal field can support the accurate depiction of the available and extractable thermal potential. Stability of the obtained hierarchy is examined by sensitivity analysis. Findings of this study help to identify the barriers that can be reasonably encountered and to propose developmental activities to harness geothermal energy.

A Step-wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis of barriers to the use of biomass in the district heating system

The use of biomass as a form of renewable energy source in order to provide district heating is a very important issue. This paper analyzes the barriers to the use of biomass in district heating in the city Bor located in Eastern Serbia. The subject of this paper is of a complex nature and requires the use of a multi-criteria decision-making method. The aim is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the internal factors in a heating company and external factors that influence the introduction of biomass and define the most important challenges in the use of renewable energy sources for the need of district heating. Based on the reviewed literature and interviews with the representatives of the heating company, 5 categories of barriers and 22 sub-categories in them are identified. A Step-wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SWARA) multi-criteria decision-making method is used to prioritize the barriers. According to the results of the prioritization, the most important barrier category to switching from the use of coal to the use of biomass is technical barrier, followed by economic category of barriers.

A step-wise weight assessment ratio analysis of barriers to the use of biomass in the district heating system

The use of biomass as a form of renewable energy source in order to provide district heating is a very important issue. This paper analyses the barriers of using biomass for district heating in the city Bor located in Eastern Serbia. The subject of this paper is of a complex nature and requires the use of a multi-criteria decision-making method. The aim is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the internal factors in a heating company, external factors that influence the introduction of biomass, and define the most important challenges in the use of renewable energy sources. Based on the reviewed literature and interviews with the representatives of the heating company, five categories of barriers and 22 sub-categories are identified. A step-wise weight assessment ratio analysis (SWARA) multi-criteria decision-making method is used to prioritise the barriers. According to the results of the prioritisation, the most important barrier category of switching from the use of coal to the use of biomass is technical barrier, followed by economic category of barriers.

Facilitators and barriers to getting obstructive sleep apnea diagnosed: perspectives from patients and their partners.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a prevalent and debilitating condition that is significantly underdiagnosed. The majority of adults sleep with someone-a partner. Partners can play a significant role in the patient's OSA diagnosis. The goal of this work is to describe facilitators and barriers to OSA diagnosis as discussed by patients with OSA and their partners. This was a qualitative secondary analysis with results drawn from 20 dyadic interviews, conducted 1 couple at a time, in 20 newly diagnosed adult patients with OSA and their partners. Qualitative interview data were analyzed using conventional content analysis. Facilitators of OSA diagnosis were partners pushing patients to seek care, patients actively seeking care, and care providers identifying the patient's risk of OSA. Barriers to OSA diagnosis were patients' lack of serious attention to symptoms, patients' negative perceptual framing of diagnosis and treatment of OSA, and poor coordination of health care services. We recommend engaging partners in the OSA diagnosis and developing educational and behavioral interventions to raise public awareness about OSA. It is important to educate clinicians on atypical presentations of OSA. Further investigation is needed to evaluate the impact of health care services on OSA diagnosis. Ye L, Li W, Willis DG. Facilitators and barriers to getting obstructive sleep apnea diagnosed: perspectives from patients and their partners. J Clin Sleep Med. 2022;18(3):835-841.

Prioritization of global software requirements' engineering barriers: An analytical hierarchy process

Software industry is adopting global software development (GSD) due to its potential to produce quality products at a lower cost. However, the GSD firms face many challenges that make development activities more complicated, especially related to the requirements engineering (RE) process. The objectives of this article are to investigate and prioritize the barriers faced by the GSD organizations during the RE process. First, we identified 17 barriers related to the RE process in the GSD projects. Next, the identified barriers were further validated with real-world GSD practitioners using a questionnaire survey. Finally, we applied the analytical hierarchy process to prioritize the investigated barriers with respect to their significance for the RE process in the GSD domain. The results show that coordination is the most significant barrier category for the RE process in GSD projects. Lack of standard and procedure for RE in GSD, lack of synchronized communication infrastructure, and lack of mutual understanding between the overseas RE teams are also high-ranked barriers for the RE process in GSD. The authors believe that the findings of this study will assist practitioners and researchers in developing effective strategies and plans for the successful implementation of the RE process in the GSD context.

Barriers and Facilitators to Healthy Eating among Adult Food Bank Users.

Healthy eating relates to improved health, yet adult food bank users report difficulty accessing healthy foods. Registered nurses can promote healthy eating for food bank recipients by understanding perceived obstacles and facilitators. Urban food bank users completed a survey, and qualitative content analysis was used to analyze four open-ended questions regarding perceptions of healthy eating. In total, 196 adults were included in analysis. Two main categories were identified as perceived facilitators and barriers to healthy eating. Themes from the facilitator category included internal resources and external resources. Themes from the barrier category were personal challenges and environmental issues. Healthy eating is a complex behavior that requires personal motivation, skills, and social/environmental supports to be successfully executed among food bank recipients. Nurses should advocate to leverage food bank resources for healthier eating by offering nurtition counseling at events, optimizing access to fresh fruits and vegetables, and decreasing unhealthy food options.

Patient-reported reasons for declining same-day antiretroviral therapy initiation in routine HIV care settings in Lusaka, Zambia: results from a mixed-effects regression analysis.

IntroductionIn the current “test and treat” era, HIV programmes are increasingly focusing resources on linkage to care and same‐day antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation to meet UNAIDS 95‐95‐95 targets. After observing sub‐optimal treatment indicators in health facilities supported by the Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ), we piloted a “linkage assessment” tool in facility‐based HIV testing settings to uncover barriers to same‐day linkage to care and ART initiation among newly identified people living with HIV (PLHIV) and to guide HIV programme quality improvement efforts.MethodsThe one‐page, structured linkage assessment tool was developed to capture patient‐reported barriers to same‐day linkage and ART initiation using three empirically supported categories of barriers: social, personal and structural. The tool was implemented in three health facilities, two urban and one rural, in Lusaka, Zambia from 1 November 2017 to 31 January 2018, and administered to all newly identified PLHIV declining same‐day linkage and ART. Individuals selected as many reasons as relevant. We used mixed‐effects logistic regression modelling to evaluate predictors of citing specific barriers to same‐day linkage and ART, and Fisher’s Exact tests to assess differences in barrier citation by socio‐demographics and HIV testing entry point.ResultsA total of 1278 people tested HIV positive, of whom 126 (9.9%) declined same‐day linkage and ART, reporting a median of three barriers per respondent. Of these 126, 71.4% were female. Females declining same‐day ART were younger, on average, (median 28.5 years, interquartile range (IQR): 21 to 37 years) than males (median 34.5 years, IQR: 26 to 44 years). The most commonly reported barrier category was structural, “clinics were too crowded” (n = 33), followed by a social reason, “friends and family will condemn me” (n = 30). The frequency of citing personal barriers differed significantly across HIV testing point (χ2 p = 0.03). Significant predictors for citing ≥1 barrier to same‐day ART were >50 years of age (OR: 12.59, 95% CI: 6.00 to 26.41) and testing at a rural facility (OR: 9.92, 95% CI: 4.98 to 19.79).ConclusionsGiven differences observed in barriers to same‐day ART initiation reported across sex, age, testing point, and facility type, new, tailored counselling and linkage to care approaches are needed, which should be rigorously evaluated in routine programme settings.

A Step-Wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis of Barriers to the Use of Biomass in the District Heating System

The use of biomass as a form of renewable energy source in order to provide district heating is a very important issue. This paper analyzes the barriers to the use of biomass in district heating in the city Bor located in Eastern Serbia. The subject of this paper is of a complex nature and requires the use of a multi-criteria decision-making method. The aim is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the internal factors in a heating company and external factors that influence the introduction of biomass and define the most important challenges in the use of renewable energy sources for the need of district heating. Based on the reviewed literature and interviews with the representatives of the heating company, 5 categories of barriers and 22 sub-categories in them are identified. A Step-wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SWARA) multi-criteria decision-making method is used to prioritize the barriers. According to the results of the prioritization, the most important barrier category to switching from the use of coal to the use of biomass is technical barrier, followed by economic category of barriers.

Roadside Fixed-Object Collisions, Barrier Performance, and Fatal Injuries in Single-Vehicle, Run-Off-Road Crashes

Objectives: To quantify the odds of fatal injuries associated with drivers involved in single-vehicle, run-off-road (SVROR), injury crashes. Methods: An in-service safety evaluation was carried out using multivariate logistic regression models. Results: The odds of motorist death was lower for w-beam guardrail crashes as compared to tree, pole, and concrete barrier crashes. On the other hand, there was no statistically significant difference between the odds of motorist death in concrete barrier crashes as compared to tree or pole crashes. The odds of motorist death were lower for curbs and collision-free crashes as compared to tree, pole, and barrier crashes. Thus, obstacles should be removed whenever possible and barriers installed only whenever absolutely necessary. The lack of vehicle containment (in barrier crashes) was found: (i) to tend to occur on higher-posted-speed-limit roads and result in a higher percentage of fatal crashes, (ii) to be more prevalent with the less rigid barrier type, and (iii) to result in a consistently higher percentage of fatal crashes under the concrete barrier category. Conclusions: Findings not only support state-of-the-art roadside design guidelines and crash-testing criteria, but they may also be useful in evaluating proposed roadside safety improvements.

Cost, Hassle, and On-Body Experience: Barriers to Diabetes Device Use in Adolescents and Potential Intervention Targets.

Background: Adolescents with diabetes have the highest A1cs of all age groups. Diabetes devices (insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors [CGM]) can improve glycemic outcomes, and although the uptake of devices has increased, they remain underutilized in this population. This study characterizes adolescent-reported barriers to diabetes device use to determine targets for clinician intervention. Methods: We surveyed 411 adolescents with type 1 diabetes (mean age 16.30 ± 2.25 years) on barriers to diabetes device use, technology use attitudes (general and diabetes specific), benefits and burdens of CGM, self-efficacy for diabetes care, diabetes distress, family conflict, and depression. We characterize barriers to device uptake; assess demographic and psychosocial differences in device users, discontinuers, and nonusers; and determine differences in device use by gender and age. Results: The majority of adolescents used an insulin pump (n = 307, 75%) and more than half used CGM (n = 225, 55%). Cost/insurance-related concerns were the most commonly endorsed barrier category (61%) followed by wear-related issues (58.6%), which include the hassle of wearing the device (38%) and dislike of device on the body (33%). Adolescents who endorsed more barriers also reported more diabetes distress (P = 0.003), family conflict (P = 0.003), and depressive symptoms (P = 0.014). Pump and CGM discontinuers both endorsed more barriers and more negative perceptions of technology than current users, but reported no difference from device users in diabetes distress, family conflict, or depression. Gender was not related to the perceptions of devices. Conclusions: Clinicians can proactively assess attitudes toward diabetes technology and perceptions of benefits/burdens to encourage device uptake and potentially prevent device discontinuation among adolescents.

A Fuzzy Multi-Criteria Analysis of Barriers and Policy Strategies for Small and Medium Enterprises to Adopt Green Innovation

Recently, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly focusing on the implementation of green innovation, mainly due to customers’ increasing environmental consciousness. However, SMEs have not yet achieved any significant accomplishment. The lack of success in implementing green practices is due to various barriers. So, it is crucial to analyze and address these barriers prior to introducing green initiatives. This study prioritizes barriers and solutions to adopt green practices in the context of SMEs in Saudi Arabia. The study develops an integrated decision framework based on symmetry principles to identify main-barriers, sub-barriers, and strategies to overcome these barriers. Six main barriers, 24 sub-barriers, and 10 strategic solutions were identified through literature survey. Then, fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP) was employed to evaluate main-barriers and sub-barriers. Later, fuzzy technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (FTOPSIS) methodology was used to rank strategies. Results of FAHP revealed that the political barrier category holds higher importance than other barriers. Results of FTOPSIS showed that the strategic solution ‘developing research practices to carryout green innovation in SMEs’ is more important in addressing green innovation barriers in SMEs.

An AHP Assessment Of Barriers in Adopting Sustainable Forest Management Practices in The Context Of Carbon Emission Reductions in Cameroon

ABSTRACTAs the role of forests in climate change mitigation is explicitly recognized in the Paris Agreement, the need to enhance the adoption of Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) practices is crucial. Therefore, this paper aims at identifying and evaluating barriers in adopting SFM practices in the context of forest carbon emission reductions. A total of 15 barriers in adopting SFM practices are listed through literature and expert inputs. Using Cameroon as a case study, the listed barriers are then evaluated by experts to determine their relative importance using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. According to our findings, the ‘Regulatory and Legislative frameworks’ barrier category was attributed to the highest importance among other categories, in adopting SFM practices in the forestry sector. ‘Inadequate political will and incentive to enforce regulations’ appears to be the major obstacle in adopting SFM practices in Cameroon. As carbon emission reduction initiatives are being developed, there is need to move from broad to concrete suggestions that will overcome these barriers. However, proper diagnosis is necessary in order to target barriers with the right incentives and enabling conditions that will support carbon programs and projects to deliver effective emission reductions.

Analysis of barriers to the adoption of cleaner energy technologies in Pakistan using Modified Delphi and Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process

Pakistan has an enormous amount of renewable and sustainable energy sources. However, it is unfortunate that the country remains unsuccessful in using these sources to deliver increasing electricity demand. Studies attribute various barriers to this failure. However, little is known about the degree to which these barriers impede renewable energy (RE) in Pakistan. Therefore, the current study presents a systematic framework to prioritize barriers according to their importance. The study is divided into three phases. Firstly, barriers were identified using literature survey. Secondly, the Modified Delphi method was used to finalize and categorize barriers in the Pakistani context. Twenty-one barriers were finalized, which were then categorized under five main barriers, including, political and regulatory, market competitiveness, institutional, technical, and social. Finally, Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchical Process (FAHP) was employed to calculate weights and rankings of barriers and sub-barriers. The results revealed that political and regulatory barrier category ranks highest among major categories, whereas, overall ranking of barriers showed that political instability sub-barrier is more important than the rest of twenty sub-barriers within different categories.