IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/envirb/v52y2025i1p150-167.html

Location optimization of emergency medical services: Considering joint service coverage of ambulances and emergency centers

Author

Listed:
  • Weicong Luo
  • Jing Yao
  • Richard Mitchell
  • Xiaoxiang Zhang
  • Wenqiang Li

Abstract

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) play an essential role in saving lives and improving health outcomes by offering immediate medical care to individuals who experience sudden illnesses or injuries. A complete EMS journey consists of two related trips: one from an EMS station to a scene (Trip 1), and the other from a scene to a definitive care location (Trip 2), where the service is coordinately provided by two types of facilities: EMS stations/ambulances and emergency centers (e.g., trauma centers or stroke centers) that are often affiliated with general hospitals. Current work on EMS location optimization considers only one trip (Trip 1 or Trip 2) which ignores the coordination between EMS stations and emergency centers, or the overall trip alone that overlooks the response time requirement. This paper proposed a spatial optimization model, the maximal coverage location problem based on joint coverage (MCLP-JC), for siting EMS stations and emergency centers simultaneously with a consideration of the two related trips. An empirical study of stroke center planning in Wuhan, China, is implemented to compare the proposed approach with the maximal coverage location problem based on overall coverage (MCLP-OC). The results demonstrate that the MCLP-JC can ensure more people being able to receive the first care from an ambulance within the response time requirement, which is critical to subsequent treatment at emergency centers and the odds of survival. The findings from the two scenarios regarding service relocation and expansion offer insights for future health facility planning.

Suggested Citation

  • Weicong Luo & Jing Yao & Richard Mitchell & Xiaoxiang Zhang & Wenqiang Li, 2025. "Location optimization of emergency medical services: Considering joint service coverage of ambulances and emergency centers," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 52(1), pages 150-167, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envirb:v:52:y:2025:i:1:p:150-167
    DOI: 10.1177/23998083241253108
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/23998083241253108
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/23998083241253108?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Erdemir, Elif Tokar & Batta, Rajan & Rogerson, Peter A. & Blatt, Alan & Flanigan, Marie, 2010. "Joint ground and air emergency medical services coverage models: A greedy heuristic solution approach," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 207(2), pages 736-749, December.
    2. Richard Church & Charles R. Velle, 1974. "The Maximal Covering Location Problem," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(1), pages 101-118, January.
    3. Mark S. Daskin & Edmund H. Stern, 1981. "A Hierarchical Objective Set Covering Model for Emergency Medical Service Vehicle Deployment," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 15(2), pages 137-152, May.
    4. Adenso-Díaz, B. & Rodríguez, F., 1997. "A simple search heuristic for the MCLP: Application to the location of ambulance bases in a rural region," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 25(2), pages 181-187, April.
    5. David Schilling & D. Jack Elzinga & Jared Cohon & Richard Church & Charles ReVelle, 1979. "The Team/Fleet Models for Simultaneous Facility and Equipment Siting," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 13(2), pages 163-175, May.
    6. Revelle, Charles & Snyder, Stephanie, 1995. "Integrated fire and ambulance siting: A deterministic model," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 29(4), pages 261-271, December.
    7. Beraldi, P. & Bruni, M.E., 2009. "A probabilistic model applied to emergency service vehicle location," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 196(1), pages 323-331, July.
    8. Sunarin Chanta & Maria Mayorga & Laura McLay, 2014. "Improving emergency service in rural areas: a bi-objective covering location model for EMS systems," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 221(1), pages 133-159, October.
    9. Sorensen, Paul & Church, Richard, 2010. "Integrating expected coverage and local reliability for emergency medical services location problems," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 44(1), pages 8-18, March.
    10. Constantine Toregas & Ralph Swain & Charles ReVelle & Lawrence Bergman, 1971. "The Location of Emergency Service Facilities," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 19(6), pages 1363-1373, October.
    11. Schilling, David A. & Revelle, Charles & Cohon, Jared & Elzinga, D. Jack, 1980. "Some models for fire protection locational decisions," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 5(1), pages 1-7, July.
    12. David J. Eaton & Mark S. Daskin & Dennis Simmons & Bill Bulloch & Glen Jansma, 1985. "Determining Emergency Medical Service Vehicle Deployment in Austin, Texas," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 15(1), pages 96-108, February.
    13. Xueping Li & Zhaoxia Zhao & Xiaoyan Zhu & Tami Wyatt, 2011. "Covering models and optimization techniques for emergency response facility location and planning: a review," Mathematical Methods of Operations Research, Springer;Gesellschaft für Operations Research (GOR);Nederlands Genootschap voor Besliskunde (NGB), vol. 74(3), pages 281-310, December.
    14. Luo, Weicong & Yao, Jing & Mitchell, Richard & Zhang, Xiaoxiang & Li, Wenqiang, 2022. "Locating emergency medical services to reduce urban-rural inequalities," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Wang, Wei & Wu, Shining & Wang, Shuaian & Zhen, Lu & Qu, Xiaobo, 2021. "Emergency facility location problems in logistics: Status and perspectives," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    2. Wang, Wei & Wang, Shuaian & Zhen, Lu & Qu, Xiaobo, 2022. "EMS location-allocation problem under uncertainties," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 168(C).
    3. Bélanger, V. & Ruiz, A. & Soriano, P., 2019. "Recent optimization models and trends in location, relocation, and dispatching of emergency medical vehicles," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 272(1), pages 1-23.
    4. Luo, Weicong & Yao, Jing & Mitchell, Richard & Zhang, Xiaoxiang & Li, Wenqiang, 2022. "Locating emergency medical services to reduce urban-rural inequalities," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    5. Wajid, Shayesta & Nezamuddin, N., 2023. "Capturing delays in response of emergency services in Delhi," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 87(PA).
    6. Wajid, Shayesta & Nezamuddin, N., 2022. "A robust survival model for emergency medical services in Delhi, India," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    7. Coutinho-Rodrigues, João & Tralhão, Lino & Alçada-Almeida, Luís, 2012. "Solving a location-routing problem with a multiobjective approach: the design of urban evacuation plans," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 22(C), pages 206-218.
    8. Marianov, Vladimir & Eiselt, H.A., 2024. "Fifty Years of Location Theory - A Selective Review," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 318(3), pages 701-718.
    9. Dmitrii Usanov & G.A. Guido Legemaate & Peter M. van de Ven & Rob D. van der Mei, 2019. "Fire truck relocation during major incidents," Naval Research Logistics (NRL), John Wiley & Sons, vol. 66(2), pages 105-122, March.
    10. Alan T. Murray, 2016. "Maximal Coverage Location Problem," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 39(1), pages 5-27, January.
    11. Nelas, José & Dias, Joana, 2020. "Optimal Emergency Vehicles Location: An approach considering the hierarchy and substitutability of resources," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 287(2), pages 583-599.
    12. Ranon Jientrakul & Chumpol Yuangyai & Klongkwan Boonkul & Pakinai Chaicharoenwut & Suriyaphong Nilsang & Sittiporn Pimsakul, 2022. "Integrating Spatial Risk Factors with Social Media Data Analysis for an Ambulance Allocation Strategy: A Case Study in Bangkok," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-15, August.
    13. Akdogan, M. Altan & Bayındır, Z. Pelin & Iyigun, Cem, 2023. "An analysis of ambulance location problem from an equity perspective," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    14. Carvalho, A.S. & Captivo, M.E. & Marques, I., 2020. "Integrating the ambulance dispatching and relocation problems to maximize system’s preparedness," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 283(3), pages 1064-1080.
    15. Soo-Haeng Cho & Hoon Jang & Taesik Lee & John Turner, 2014. "Simultaneous Location of Trauma Centers and Helicopters for Emergency Medical Service Planning," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 62(4), pages 751-771, August.
    16. Cheng, Yung-Hsiang & Liang, Zheng-Xian, 2014. "A strategic planning model for the railway system accident rescue problem," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 75-96.
    17. Matthias Grot & Tristan Becker & Pia Mareike Steenweg & Brigitte Werners, 2022. "Enhanced coverage by integrating site interdependencies in capacitated EMS location models," Health Care Management Science, Springer, vol. 25(1), pages 42-62, March.
    18. Bélanger, V. & Lanzarone, E. & Nicoletta, V. & Ruiz, A. & Soriano, P., 2020. "A recursive simulation-optimization framework for the ambulance location and dispatching problem," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 286(2), pages 713-725.
    19. Jenkins, Phillip R. & Lunday, Brian J. & Robbins, Matthew J., 2020. "Robust, multi-objective optimization for the military medical evacuation location-allocation problem," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    20. Inkyung Sung & Taesik Lee, 2018. "Scenario-based approach for the ambulance location problem with stochastic call arrivals under a dispatching policy," Flexible Services and Manufacturing Journal, Springer, vol. 30(1), pages 153-170, June.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:envirb:v:52:y:2025:i:1:p:150-167. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.