India's rural healthcare systems: structural modeling.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this paper is to identify factors related to rural healthcare services and establish a hierarchical model for the effective rural healthcare management in India.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: A questionnaire survey identified and correlated numerous factors related to the Uttarakhand rural healthcare systems. Experts opinion were translated into a reachability matrix and an interpretive structural model. A fuzzy matriced impacts croises-multiplication applique and classment (FMICMAC) analysis arranged the factors as hierarchical stages using their driving power.

FINDINGS

The interpretive structural and FMICMAC hierarchical models suggest four key driving factors: diseases, climatic conditions, population growth and political pressure.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

Despite numerous issues, rural healthcare services can be improved by considering key driving factors that could be used as a prediction tool for policy makers.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE: Results demonstrate that population control, coordinating services with local bodies and rural health center annual maintenance can be game changers toward better healthcare services.