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A new intelligent MCDM model for HCW management: The integrated BWM–MABAC model based on D numbers

2021; Elsevier BV; Volume: 175; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.eswa.2021.114862

1873-6793

Dragan Pamučar, Adis Puška, Željko Stević, Goran Ćirović,

Multi-Criteria Decision Making

Healthcare waste (HCW) management is a complex and challenging problem. It is one of the priorities in health. An increase in the number of the health services provided leads to an increase in the amount of HCW, which has particularly been noticeable in recent years. Since this is the waste that may pose a risk to humans and the environment, it is necessary to ensure an adequate treatment of the same. HCW management is particularly important in developing countries, due to inappropriate disposal methods, underfunding and a lack of the infrastructure. In order to achieve the cost-effectiveness and sustainability of this area, HCW should be minimized through an adequate treatment of the same. The Public Enterprise Zdravstvo Brčko (Brčko Health System) has intensively been addressing the HCW management issue. They have decided to upgrade the HCW system by purchasing a new infectious waste treatment facility. The paper is aimed at creating a new original integrated multicriteria decision-making model based on D numbers for processing fuzzy linguistic information. This model will serve to support management in the procurement of the mentioned facility. The model integrates the benefits of different approaches and theories. An initial model was formed, consisting of the six potential solutions evaluated based on the 18 criteria classified into the following four groups: social, environmental, economic and technological. Four experts in this field evaluated the criteria and potential solutions. Then, a new Best-Worst Method based on D numbers (BWM-D) was applied in order to determine the significance of the criteria. After that, a Multi-Attributive Border Approximation Area Comparison Based on D numbers (MABAC-D) was developed and applied so as to evaluate and select an infectious waste treatment facility. The results have shown that the alternative A1 gives the best results, whereas the alternative A5 shows the worst results. Finally, a sensitivity analysis was performed to validate the obtained results. In this part of the paper, the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS-D) and VIšekriterijumska Optimizacija Kompromisnog Rešenja (VIKOR-D) were developed in order to validate the results. When procuring a new Contagious Waste Treatment System, the characteristics of the available devices need be perceived and all the criteria need be taken into account in order to provide a device which will solve the HCW problem in the best way. This paper has shown how D numbers can be used when making a selection of an HCW management device, and also how all the characteristics of such a device can be perceived and how the device demonstrating the best characteristics can be selected.