Spatial Analyzing and Ranking Indexes of Medical Care Services Development Using Factor and Cluster Analysis (Case Study: Townships of Gilan Province)

Generally speaking, planning is a tool for changing the present condition to desirable one aiming at development and progress. It is obvious that there firstly should be an exact and comprehensive understanding of the present situation in order to achieve desirable status. In addition to the growth in all directions, the development concept covers a balanced distribution. Development aims at creating an environment in which not only all people could improve their abilities, but also there will be wide opportunities provided for both the current and future generations. Medical care services are considered as those of the main objectives of development and delivering these services in all regions will decrease poverty. Therefore, it provides conditions for human resources growth and training and social and economical development in different regions of our country. Employing factor and cluster analysis and using 26 medical indexes, current study attempts analyzing and ranking medical care indexes in Gilan Province. Dominant method in this study is descriptive-analytical and this study is of applied type. Findings indicate that medical care indexes do not have balanced distribution in Gilan Province and there is a gross difference among townships in this province with respect to the development of medical care services. Factor analysis ranks townships as much enjoyed, enjoyed, relatively enjoyed, deprived, much deprived with Lahijan and Langerood in the highest and lowest position respectively. By employing cluster analysis and drawing dendrogram, the townships of province were categorized in 5 homogeneous groups. Ultimately, some recommendations are offered for improving the condition of deprived regions.