A Smart Spatial Routing and Accessibility Analysis System for EMS Using Catchment Areas of Voronoi Spatial Model and Time-Based Dijkstra’s Routing Algorithm

Abstract

The concept of a catchment area is often used to establish equitable access to essential services such as ambulance emergency medical services. In a time-sensitive environment, taking the wrong decision when there is a need for a short travel time can have serious consequences. In ambulance management, a mistaken dispatch which may result in the late arrival of an ambulance can lead to a life-and-death situation. In addition, finding the optimal route to reach the destination within a minimum amount of time is a significant problem. A spatial routing analysis based on travel times within the emergency services catchment area can quickly find the best routes to emergency points and may overcome this problem. In this study, a smart spatial routing and accessibility analysis system is proposed for EMS using catchment areas of the Voronoi spatial model and time-based Dijkstra’s routing algorithm (TDRA) to support the route analysis of emergencies and to facilitate the dispatch of appropriate units that are able to respond within a reasonable time frame. Our simulation shows that the system can successfully predict and determine the nearest candidate ambulance unit within the catchment area and candidate ambulance services in the adjacent catchment area that has a minimum travel time to the demand point taking TDRA construction into account.