Work

Locating automated external defibrillators in urban areas: considering different travel modes

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Introduction: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a time-critical emergency in which rapid access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) can improve survival. However, most AED location studies assume a single travel mode and often use population alone as a proxy for demand. This study investigates how travel-mode assumptions affect AED accessibility and optimal deployment and develops a risk-informed multimodal spatial optimization framework. Methods: Using Wuhan, China, as a case study, an age-risk-weighted potential OHCA demand surface was constructed from 17,842 ambulance dispatch records and age-stratified population data across 1,161 1-km grid cells. The existing 3,569 AEDs were treated as fixed facilities. Accessibility was evaluated under driving, cycling, walking, Drive + Walk, and Cycling + Walk scenarios using a 4-min response threshold. Multimodal extensions of the Location Set Covering Problem (LSCP) and Maximal Covering Location Problem (MCLP) were applied to identify full-coverage requirements and priority locations. Results: Baseline demand-weighted coverage varied substantially by travel mode: 85.07% for driving, 68.27% for cycling, 31.55% for walking, 53.65% for Drive + Walk, and 45.41% for Cycling + Walk. The additional AEDs required for universal coverage ranged from 68 under driving to 521 under walking, with 327 required under Drive + Walk. Under the first-phase MCLP strategy, 65 new AEDs increased Drive + Walk demand-weighted coverage to 73.31%. Sensitivity analysis confirmed that the main findings were robust to alternative mode weights. Discussion: AED accessibility and optimal deployment are highly sensitive to responder mobility assumptions. Incorporating heterogeneous travel modes and age-specific OHCA risk can support more realistic, spatially targeted, and resource-efficient AED planning.

Source: Frontiers in Public Health

DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1936570

Authors: Weicong Luo, Jinhao Liu, Yuhan He, Fei Wang

Institution: Huazhong Agricultural University

Language: English

Topic: Facility Location and Emergency Management

Subfield: Management Science and Operations Research

Field: Decision Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Sustainable cities and communities

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,801