Application of Fuzzy Soft Set in Patients’ Prioritization

Based on studies, access to healthcare services and long waiting time is one of the main issues in many countries including Canada and United States. Healthcare organizations can’t increase their limited resources nor treat all patients simultaneously. Then, patients’ access to these services should be prioritized in a way that best uses the scarce resources and insures patients’ safety. Prioritization is essential and inevitable not only because of resource shortage, which have not been improved during years, but also because it is a crucial issue that could contribute to the capability and stability of the healthcare systems, and most importantly to patients’ safety. On the other hand, inappropriate prioritization of patients waiting for treatment, could affect directly on inefficiencies in healthcare delivery, quality of care, and most importantly on patients’ safety and their quality of life and satisfaction. Inspired by these facts, in this chapter the importance of patients’ prioritization and using fuzzy logic in this area will be discussed, and a novel hybrid framework using fuzzy soft sets for patients’ prioritization will be proposed. The proposed framework may have a significant impact on patients’ safety, and on both medical community and the public’s faith in justice and equity.