Compilation of issues related to the delivery of emergency health services and their prioritisation using the Best-Worst method in the province of Erzincan

Emergency medical services are institution established to provide initial intervention to patients who represent health. It is planned to provide emergency medical services across the country under all conditions. Therefore, the accessibility of healthcare services in Turkey is of great importance in terms of public health and public policies. Accessible healthcare services are crucial for early diagnosis of diseases, effective management of emergencies, and elimination of social inequalities. Particularly, the accessibility of emergency medical services ensures rapid intervention in emergencies and timely assistance for patients. This plays a significant role in saving the lives of patients and improving health outcomes. At the same time, the equitable distribution of healthcare services to all regions reduces social inequality and improves the general health of society. Therefore, regularly evaluating the accessibility of emergency medical services and making improvements in this regard constitutes a major step to protect and enhance community health. In the conducted study, the Best-Worst Method was used to facilitate criteria weighting, and results were analyzed to prioritize the problems experienced in the context of emergency medical services based on the criteria ranking. As a result of the study, the priority ranking of internal issues was identified as: shortages of equipment and vehicles, communication problems, training and expertise issues, maintenance and repair, lack of inter-institutional cooperation, financial constraints, technological inadequacies, personnel shortages, legal, administrative, and standard deficiencies. External problems were ranked as: the insufficient awareness level of the public, language and communication barriers, security risks, traffic congestion, geographical and transportation difficulties. It is believed that establishing a harmonious relationship between the state and the public to improve these experienced problems, along with providing education and support for personnel on internal issues by the state, will reduce the problems to a minimum level.