Using new fuzzy regression aptness and healthcare equity indices in cancer hospitals network design: a fuzzy multi-objective mathematical model

Cancer hospitals could provide all required services for cancer patients and decrease the time-wasting of cancer-curing procedures and patients suffering from long travels between healthcare centers. This paper proposes a new fuzzy coefficient of determination of the fuzzy regression model to project the cancer patients’ population and a fuzzy equity index based on the degree of possessing healthcare infrastructures. Besides, a new multi-objective mixed-integer linear mathematical model is proposed to establish a cancer hospitals network under cost, efficiency, and equity considerations. A fuzzy membership grade-based approach is employed to solve the proposed model in the case study of Iran using the CPLEX solver. The model-solving outputs provide a cancer hospital’s location and cancer patients’ allocation plan for Iran in 2040. Results of sensitivity analysis showed that the total cost, and equity function are considerably dependent on the cancer bed consumption rate. Finally, some managerial insights and future works are provided.