Delphi Analytic Hierarchy Process Research Articles

Developing integrated person-centered care quality indicators for home health agencies in Shanghai, China: A modified Delphi-analytic hierarchy process study

ObjectivesTo develop person-centered integrated care quality indicators for home health agencies in Shanghai, China. DesignThe study combined the Delphi method and the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). Material and methodsThe Delphi consultation questionnaire was distributed to experts in home healthcare in Shanghai, China. A panel of experts with experience in home healthcare in Shanghai, China, was selected. Purposive sampling was used to choose experts. In this study, ten experts were selected from within sub-fields of home healthcare, including nursing, health policy, quality improvement, person-centered care (PCC), and integrated care. ResultsThe authority coefficient (Cr) in this study was 0.835. The coordination degree of experts’ opinions, which is expressed by Kendall coordination coefficient W (a higher value, better coordination of the item), ranged from 0.352 to 0.386 (p < 0.001). The consistency ratio (CR) values for each level were less than 0.1. The quality indicator system included three first-level indicators, 15 second-level indicators, and 56 third-level indicators. ConclusionsA person-centered integrated care quality indicator system was developed for home health agencies. The findings from this study enable nurses, managers, and policymakers in home and community-based settings to evaluate person-centered integrated care quality using a robust framework. In addition, these indicators can also be used as a standardized tool to guide the development of long-term care services and supports (LTSS) for home-bound elderly.

Assessing the Lifecycle Environmental Resilience of Urban Green Infrastructures Coping with Acute Disturbances and Chronic Stresses

Urban green infrastructure (UGI), a key component of nature-based solutions (NbSs), plays a vital role in enhancing urban resilience. Nonetheless, the absence of a thorough resilience evaluation for UGI has hindered the efficacy of its design and implementation. This article proposes an innovative urban environmental resilience index (ERI) framework designed to evaluate the lifecycle performance of UGI. First, a coupled environmental resilience evaluation system is proposed that encompasses indicators for the adaptation to acute disturbances and the mitigation of chronic pressures. Second, the inventive formulas for calculating the environmental resilience index are presented, which establish the weighting of indicators through Delphi-analytic hierarchy process (AHP) analysis, and the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM), GaBi, and i-Tree models are employed for the quantitative assessment. Third, four representative UGI scenarios in urban built-up areas have been selected for comparative analysis and in-depth discussion by calculating the resilience index. This research presents UGI solutions as adaptive measures for “Black Swan” events and “Gray Rhino” phenomena, offering significant case studies and methodological frameworks which will inform future endeavours in green and sustainable urban development.

Developing a risk assessment tool for cancer-related venous thrombosis in China: a modified Delphi-analytic hierarchy process study

ObjectiveTo develop a Risk Assessment Tool for Cancer-related Venous Thrombosis in China.MethodsA modified two-round Delphi method was employed to establish consensus within a field to reach an agreement via a questionnaire or by interviewing a multidisciplinary panel of experts by collecting their feedback to inform the next round, exchanging their knowledge, experience, and opinions anonymously, and resolving uncertainties. Furthermore, The AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) was used to determine the final quality indicators’ relative importance.ResultsThe expert’s positive coefficient was 85.19% in the first round and 82.61% in the second round, with authoritative coefficients of 0.89 and 0.92 in the respective surveys. The P-value of Kendall’s W test was all less than 0.001 for each round, and the W-value for concordance at the end of the two rounds was 0.115. The final Risk Assessment Tool for Cancer-related Venous Thrombosis consisted of three domains, ten subdomains, and 39 indicators, with patient factors weighing 0.1976, disease factors weighing 0.4905, and therapeutic factors weighing 0.3119.ConclusionThe tool is significantly valid and reliable with a strong authority and coordination degree, and it can be used to assess the risk of cancer-related VTE and initiate appropriate thrombophylactic interventions in China.

Determinants of prioritised influencing factors on coal spontaneous combustion propensity – A Fuzzy-Delphi-geometric mean analytic hierarchy process

One of the most common hazards in coal mines is spontaneous combustion, a significant cause of coal loss in underground mines. Specifying a suitable approach for the determinants of prioritized influencing factors on coal spontaneous combustion propensity is challenging. There needs to be more research that directly addresses the uncertainty of human judgement in assessing the factors influencing coal propensity to self-combustion. This is the first attempt to address the aforesaid problem by ranking the factors influencing spontaneous coal combustion. The ranking was performed using the Fuzzy Delphi Analytic Hierarchy Process (FDAHP) with two variants of the Geometric Mean Method (GMM), which enabled the analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data related to the rating of each factor influencing spontaneous combustion risk and the relative importance of each factor related to coal seam characteristics, geological aspects, mining practices, and environmental aspects. The results show that ‘GMM as a whole’ is a comparatively best-aggregating approach to the AHP process. The presented case study of using this methodology in underground mine conditions confirms its efficacy in assessing susceptibility to coal spontaneous combustion. This mainly concerns the pace and reliability of the obtained results and the determination of risk evaluation system based on intrinsic and extrinsic factors influencing susceptibility to spontaneous combustion of coal. Finally, this systematic technique was validated in the research area by utilizing spontaneous combustion incident that occurred in Jharia and Raniganj coalfields, which revealed rather excellent concordance in Jharia and Raniganj coalfields. The study can be used in mine planning to develop engineering data to select the operational parameter and prevent the initiation of spontaneous heating by identifying intrinsic factors and optimizing extrinsic factors.

Identifying and prioritizing sustainability indicators for China's assessing demolition waste management using modified Delphi-analytic hierarchy process method.

Addressing the sustainability issues arising from construction and demolition waste management (DWM) has gained little traction due to the lack of incentives, stringent regulations, and systematic guidance. This study aims to empower systematic decision-making concerning DWM alternative selection by developing a sustainability assessment framework by coupling a modified Delphi method with the multicriteria decision analysis technique. First, the study identifies a comprehensive inventory of indicators across three dimensions of sustainability in the context of DWM. Next, the study combines a modified Delphi method with the analytic hierarchy process to validate and prioritize the selected sustainability indicators. For the first time, insights regarding the DWM sustainability indicators from China's construction industry practitioners' perspectives are elicited using a mixed method comprising online semistructured interviews and two rounds of questionnaire surveys. Experts participating in the research are mostly based in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, where local governments exhaust all efforts in promoting carbon-neutral and sustainable development. The findings reveal that eight sustainability indicators were regarded as the determinants for the sustainability performance of DWM, with the global warming potential (32%), energy efficiency (16.1%) and land use (13.5%) receiving the highest preference scores (weights) based on the experts' judgment. Notably, the economic factors like the total cost (6.54%) appeared not highly prioritized by the local experts as typically did in the previous studies from developing countries.

Research on Credit Evaluation Indicator System of High-Tech SMEs: From the Social Capital Perspective

High-tech small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play an important role in the high-quality economic development in a country. Nevertheless, due to the difficulties banks or other financial institutions have in accurately assessing their credit levels, financing difficulties have become the biggest bottleneck restricting the progress of high-tech SMEs, and therefore, this paper aims to construct a credit evaluation indicator system of high-tech SMEs. Based on prior studies and the characteristics of high-tech SMEs, this paper constructs an indicator system from financial and nonfinancial dimensions, including 22 measurement indicators reflecting the operation status, development potential, quality, and competitiveness of an enterprise. Principal component analysis (PCA) and a Delphi-analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method are employed for the evaluation. This indicator system innovates from the social capital perspective, and by setting more novel nonfinancial indicators, the system achieves a more comprehensive evaluation of credit level. This paper also performs an empirical application using the data from 125 enterprises in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region of China, and further performs an empirical study on the external environment’s impact on the credit level. The empirical results all show consistency with existing studies, verifying the workability and validity of the indicator system we constructed.

A flexible approach to select road traffic counting locations: System design and application of a fuzzy Delphi analytic hierarchy process

Although the diffusion of Information and Communication Technologies provided transportation analysists with new data sources (such as Floating Car and mobile devices), the use of permanent sensors installed on roads is still of paramount importance for traffic analysis. Continuous count stations are one of the main components of a road traffic monitoring program, which could fulfil several aims: (1) planning of a transportation system, (2) traffic management and operations, (3) improvement of road safety, (4) special monitoring for planned/emergency events, and (5) estimation of environmental impacts. In this research activity a Fuzzy Delphi Analytic Hierarchy Process (FDAHP) was applied to select the best locations for a fixed number of permanent count stations, as the basis of a traffic monitoring program that can reach the previously described targets. A real case study was developed in the Città Metropolitana di Venezia (Italy), where budget limitations imposed the need for a scientific and sound framework to decide where new sensors should be installed. Specific objectives and criteria were defined, as well as proper indicators to quantify them using available data. Their relative importance was evaluated by a panel of experts belonging to several agencies, therefore with different perspectives. The information obtained was analysed following the FDAHP approach to produce a ranking of the potential locations. The proposed holistic approach can be considered as a reference framework for a system to support local authorities in creating a traffic monitoring system and can be easily applied to other study areas.

Integrating Social, Economic, and Environmental Factors to Evaluate How Competitive Urban Landscapes Are for the Development of Sustainable Cities: Penang Island in Malaysia as a Case Study

The competitiveness of urban landscapes is a subject of growing attention as cities strive to become the best places to support enterprises, economic development, and high-quality living while preserving environmental resources. In evaluations of urban competitiveness, financial factors are frequently emphasized. In this systematic study for the future sustainable urban landscape (SUL), we use the instance of Penang Island, Malaysia, to present an integrated methodology for finding, evaluating, and validating good indicators for developing an urban landscape index that balances economic, sociocultural, and environmental factors. First, we provide a framework for developing such an index by developing a Delphi Analytical Hierarchy Process (DAHP) model that aids in choosing the most important aspects and sub criteria affecting the sustainability of urban landscapes. Then, under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), we demonstrate how to use these data to assess the competitiveness of various zones on Penang Island, namely Bayan Lepas and George Town. According to the quantitative results of the DAHP model, economic criteria, which were given a weight of 0.595 and a corresponding inconsistency (CI) of 0.04, had a greater influence on Penang Island’s urban landscape than environmental criteria, which were given a weight of 0.276 and a CI of 0.02, and social and cultural criteria, which were given a weight of 0.128 and a CI of 0.08. In terms of economic criteria, Zone 1 has a weight of 0.360, which indicates that it has less sway than Zone 2, which has a weight of 0.636. In the discussion, we highlight the essential elements of the methodology to assess the competitiveness of urban environments.

Multifactor Prediction of the Water Richness of Coal Roof Aquifers Based on the Combination Weighting Method and TOPSIS Model: A Case Study in the Changcheng No. 1 Coal Mine.

Identifying the water richness of coal roof aquifers is an important and difficult goal of hydrogeological research to prevent and control roof water disasters. To evaluate the water richness of roof sandstone aquifers of the No. 1 coal seam in the Changcheng No. 1 coal mine, a multifactor prediction method based on the fuzzy Delphi analytic hierarchy process (FDAHP), entropy weight method (EWM), sum of squared deviations (SSD), and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) was proposed. Multisource geological data, including sandstone thickness, burial depth, lithological composition index, core recovery, fault scale index, fault intersections and endpoint density, and fold fractal dimension, were chosen as the primary indicators for evaluating the water richness of roof sandstone aquifers. The FDAHP and EWM were used to scientifically determine the subjective and objective weight vectors of these seven main factors, and the SSD was used to determine the optimal combination weights based on the objective and subjective weight vectors. On this basis, the water richness index (WRI) model was developed using the TOPSIS method to rank the water richness of samples in the study area. A water richness zoning map was created using the WRI values, revealing three zones: the weak water richness zone, moderate water richness zone, and strong water richness zone. Additionally, the map was refined by incorporating hydrogeologic data collected during mining operations, including pumping tests and actual water inrushes from roadways and working faces. It is believed that the proposed WRI model is effective for predicting the water richness of the roof sandstone aquifers of the No. 1 coal seam in the Changcheng No. 1 coal mine based on the engineering practice data used to validate the WRI model.

Deriving and comparing priority vectors for revised‐leachate pollution index (r‐LPI) using three fuzzy analytic hierarchy process

AbstractThe revised leachate pollution index (r‐LPI) developed using the fuzzy Delphi analytical hierarchy process (FDAHP) is a technique to quantify the contamination potential of landfill leachate. The steps involved in the formulation of the r‐LPI were the selection of parameters using the fuzzy Delphi method (FDM), computing relative weights of the parameters using the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP), development of sub‐index curves, and finally, aggregation of sub‐indices. The calculation of the weights of the parameters has been one of the most crucial steps in the formulation of any index. The analytical hierarchy process (AHP) has been one of the most widely used methods for weight calculation. However, it was observed that the traditional AHP is inadequate to deal with the imprecise or ambiguous nature of linguistic evaluation. It also involves human subjectivity, which induces ambiguity and entails the use of decision‐making with uncertainty. The fuzzy AHP method was used in this study to overcome this difficulty. Three significant issues pertinent and essential to fuzzy AHP were addressed: contradictions in expert judgment, deriving priorities from inconsistent fuzzy judgment matrices, and group decision‐making. In this study, three FAHP methods: Chang's extent analysis (EA) method, fuzzy preference programming (FPP), and logarithmic fuzzy preference programming (LFPP) were used to calculate the weights of the r‐LPI parameters. The results of these methods were then compared, and it was determined that LFPP was the most suitable method for calculating the weights of the r‐LPI parameters.

Framework Development for Clinical Comprehensive Evaluation of Drugs-a Study Protocol Using the Delphi Method and Analytic Hierarchy Process.

Measuring the value of drugs to help make health-care decisions is a complex process which involves confronting trade-offs among multiple objectives. Although guidelines have been released for clinical comprehensive evaluation of drugs, refinement is required when considering a specific drug used in a specific disease. In this study, a two-level framework for clinical comprehensive evaluation of drugs will be developed. Six first-level indicators, including safety, efficacy, costs/cost-effectiveness, novelty, suitability, and accessibility will be evaluated according to the Chinese Guideline for Clinical Comprehensive Evaluation of Drugs. The second-level components involved in the framework will be first validated by the Delphi method and subsequently compared with one another to get the index weight based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The scoring criteria of each component in the framework will also be determined by the Delphi method and AHP. The scoring criteria of components representing therapeutic effects will involve both score of therapeutic effects and score of evidence quality. With the evidence of the drug to be evaluated, the score of each component will be obtained according to the established scoring criteria, and the overall comprehensive score value of the drug will be calculated, which will assist the evidence-based decision making.

Prioritizing the Potential Smartification Measures by Using an Integrated Decision Support System with Sustainable Development Goals (a Case Study in Southern Italy)

With the increasing population of cities, expanding roads as one of the essential urban infrastructures is a necessary task; therefore, adverse effects such as increased fuel consumption, pollution, noise, and road accidents are inevitable. One of the most efficient ways to mitigate congestion-related adverse effects is to introduce effective intelligent transportation systems (ITS), using advanced technologies and mobile communication protocols to make roads smarter and reduce negative impacts such as improvement in fuel consumption and pollution, and reduction of road accidents, which leads to improving quality of life. Smart roads might play a growing role in the improved safety of road transportation networks. This study aims to evaluate and rank the potential smartification measures for the road network in Calabria, in southern Italy, with sustainable development goals. For this purpose, some potential smartification measures were selected. Experts in the field were consulted using an advanced procedure: four criteria were considered for evaluating these smartification measures. The Integrated fuzzy decision support system (FDSS), namely the fuzzy Delphi analytic hierarchy process (FDAHP) with the fuzzy technique for order performance by similarity to ideal solution (FTOPSIS) were used for evaluating and ranking the potential smartification measures. The results demonstrated that the repetition of signals in the vehicle has the highest rank, and photovoltaic systems spread along the road axis has the lowest rank to use as smartification measures in the roads of the case study.

Selection of optimal aggregation function for the revised leachate pollution index (r-LPI).

A tool to quantify the pollution potential of leachate, termed the revised leachate pollution index (r-LPI), has been developed. It was developed using the fuzzy Delphi analytic hierarchy process (FDAHP). The formulation entails four major steps: parameter selection, weight calculation, normalization of parameters, and aggregation of the parameters. Eleven leachate parameters categorized into three criteria were selected using the fuzzy Delphi method (FDM). The relative weights of the parameters and the criteria were computed using the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP), and rating curves were used for normalization of the parameters. The selection of an aggregation function is one of the most critical steps in the development of a composite indicator. In this study, the concept of r-LPI was briefly discussed and 14 different aggregation functions were examined to estimate the pollution potential of landfill leachate. Based on accountability and non-accountability of weights of the parameters, ambiguity, eclipsing, and constant functional behavior, 8 aggregation functions were eliminated. The remaining six aggregation functions were subjected to sensitivity analysis. Furthermore, information lost due to aggregation of parameters was quantified. Based on the findings, it was concluded that the weighted additive function effectively quantifies the pollution potential of landfill leachate and thus recommended for the r-LPI.

A Delphi-Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) Approach for Important Factors and Indicators Selection for Big Data Model in E-Governance

A Delphi-Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) Approach for Important Factors and Indicators Selection for Big Data Model in E-Governance

Identifying and weighting of dimensions and indicators of individual job performance using fuzzy Delphi and fuzzy analytic hierarchy process techniques

PurposeThe purpose of the study was to identify and weight the dimensions and indicators of individual job performance (IJP).Design/methodology/approachTo identify dimensions and their measuring indicators, a literature review was conducted in PubMed, Embase™, ProQest, Scopus®, Web of Science™ and Google Scholar. Based on the results of the literature review and consensus among the research team, dimensions and measuring indicators were identified and an IJP framework was constructed. For weighting dimensions and indicators, fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP) and fuzzy Delphi technique (FDT) were conducted, respectively.FindingsBased on the results, the conceptual framework showed that IJP consisted of four dimensions as follows: task performance (TP), contextual performance (CP), counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs) and adaptive performance (AP). The results of FAHP showed that TP (0.358) had the highest weighting in measuring IJP. The weight of CWBs, CP and AP was 0.302, 0.244 and 0.096, respectively. The results showed that 102 indicators were identified to measure the dimensions. Using the FDT, 45 indicators were accepted and 57 were rejected. Of the accepted indicators, 12 indicators belonged to TP. In addition, 11, 12 and 10 belonged to CP, CWBs and AP, respectively.Research limitations/implicationsThe results of the article can be useful in research and practice and bridge the gap between theory and practice. In the research area, the researchers can use this model to develop questionnaires for evaluating IJP in all occupations. The researchers can choose the most effective dimensions or indicators in accordance with the corresponding occupation. Moreover, the results can be used in practice (economic and commercial impact), teaching, influencing public policy and helping to establish a more complete knowledge system.Originality/valueIn order to select dimensions and their measuring indicators, the work in the study took the unique approach to employ powerful decision-making methods combined with fuzzy methods to remove any ambiguity in opinions.

Prioritization of influential factors for the pedestrian facility improvement in Indian cities

ABSTRACT The improvement of pedestrian facilities is complex and it needs more in-depth study. For the improvement, it is required to prioritize the sidewalks first. Prioritization of sidewalks depends on many factors that are not yet consolidated according to their influence. A combined Delphi–analytic hierarchy process (AHP) methodology was applied to identify and rank the factors which influence the prioritization of sidewalks for pedestrian facility improvement in Indian cities. The results indicate that ‘Lighting’, ‘Maintenance and Cleanliness’ and ‘Crossing Facilities’ are the highest-ranked influential factors. The result will assist the planners in focusing on the critical aspects of pedestrian facilities improvement.

Developing a Climate Change Vulnerability Index for Coastal City Sustainability, Mitigation, and Adaptation: A Case Study of Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia

Coastal hazards are an urgent issue of global concern considering the increasing population pressure in coastal regions, retreating coastlines, and rising seawater levels. Here we demonstrate the process of assessing the vulnerability of a coastal urban environment using the case of Kuala Terengganu, a coastal town in Malaysia, and evaluating the potential social, environmental, and economic impacts. Uncertainties in the human dimensions of global change deeply affect the assessment and responses to environmental, climatic, and non-climate impacts on coastal city population growth and communities. We address these uncertainties by combining a Delphi-Analytical Hierarchy Process (Delphi-AHP) model and Geographic Information System (GIS)tools to determine mitigation and adaptation probabilities as part of a Coastal City Vulnerability Assessment. We conclude by presenting calculations of the short- and long-term suitability for land use and recommending hazard mitigation measures to equip city planners and decision-makers in evaluating hazards and potential impacts on coastal city areas.

Evaluation of Intensified Colorectal Cancer Treatment Using Model Based on Delphi Method, Fuzzy Logic, and Analytical Hierarchy Process (DFAHP)

Evaluation of Intensified Colorectal Cancer Treatment Using Model Based on Delphi Method, Fuzzy Logic, and Analytical Hierarchy Process (DFAHP)

Vulnerability assessment and management planning for the ecological environment in urban wetlands

As a special ecosystem in cities, urban wetland parks have important environmental regulation and social service functions. This paper proposes a new methodology of urban wetland planning and management based on the vulnerability of the ecological environment. The Jixi National Wetland Park (JNWP) was taken as the research area to analyze the ecological, geological and environmental factors that affect urban wetlands. A remote sensing image, digital elevation model, and environmental quality interpolation processing were used to generate the factor layer, and a comprehensive evaluation index system was established. The fuzzy Delphi analytic hierarchy process (FDAHP) method was used to calculate the comprehensive weight of each evaluation factor. A model to evaluate the ecological environment vulnerability of the JNWP was established. Then, an improved k-means clustering algorithm was used to classify the ecological environment of the study area. The ecological environment vulnerability of the wetland was evaluated. The results showed that the vulnerability of the ecological environment in the study area could be divided into five levels, including very low, low, medium, high and very high vulnerability areas. According to the vulnerability level and the results of k-means++ cluster analysis, the JNWP is divided into five areas. The wetland buffer zone is the main factor that determines the distribution of ecological environment vulnerability in urban wetlands. However, cultivated land development and ecological environmental restoration are the main factors that determine the evolution of ecological environment vulnerability in urban wetlands. The FDAHP and geographic information systems (GIS), combined with cluster analysis, are effective methods to evaluate the vulnerability of the ecological environment of urban wetlands, which provides a scientific and accurate methodology for the management and sustainable development of urban wetlands.

Sustainable Development Assessment in Underground Coal mining by Developing a Novel Index

A novel index is presented in this paper to evaluate sustainable development in underground coal mining. Eleven parameters were chosen as impacting factors that define three aspects of sustainable development, including environmental, economic, and social. Fuzzy Delphi Analytical Hierarchy Process (FDAHP) was used to develop a new rating system in the form of a classification system. Subsequently, a sustainable development index (SDi) was defined as a simple summation of ratings for all parameters to classify the sustainability level of underground coal mining qualitatively. Applicability of the new index was examined through applying it to a case study, and the results were compared with a benchmark model. The results indicate that SDi possesses a higher performance in sustainable development evaluation in the actual case when compared to common models. This performance is because it is developed for underground coal mining, especially in a scientific manner that considers three aspects of sustainable development together.