Master Thesis in Geoinformatics Ambulance management - DiVA

78 Pages·2006·10.61 MB·English

Master Thesis in Geoinformatics

Ambulance management system using GIS

By

Imtiyaz Pasha

Supervisor & Examiner: ProF. Dr. Åke Sivertun

Department of Computer and Information Science
Linköping University
SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden

LINKÖPING 2006
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Abstract

For emergency service providers, giving their service in least time shows their best performance.
Emergency hospitals will be at their best if the ambulance reaches the site in Golden hour where
life of injured persons can be saved. Ambulance uses the road network to reach the accident site.
Today there are many GIS based systems being developed for routing of ambulance using GPS
and other real-time technologies. These systems are useful and play a major role in solving the
routing problem. But now roads are so congested that it difficult for the Ambulance drivers to
travel and reach the accident.

In this thesis present study area is studied and problems faced by emergency service providers on
road network are identified. In this thesis GIS/GPS/GSM based prototype system has been
developed for routing of ambulance on road network of Hyderabad city (AMS). This prototype is
designed such that it finds the accident location on the road network and locates the nearest
ambulance to incident site using the real-time technologies (GPS/GSM). AMS creates the fastest
route from nearest ambulance to accident site, and from there to nearest hospital. Congestion on
roads during peak hours is considered, and the fastest route on both major and minor roads is
created.

In this thesis AMS user interface has been developed using VBA, ArcGIS (network analyst). This
Ambulance management system has been developed using software engineering model rapid
prototyping model and has been evaluated by GIS users.

Keywords: GIS, GPS, GSM, Ambulance management system (AMS), Network analyst

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Acknowledgements

First of all I would like to thank my supervisor Dr. Sivertun, Department of computer science
(IDA), for all his help with this thesis. I have learnt a lot from Dr. Sivertun, how to work hard and
getting right results. Dr. Sivertun always has time for my questions and his comments on my
thesis have been valuable. I am also thankful to my course coordinator Jalal Maleki. I would also
like to thank my colleagues for providing me good suggestions. I am thankful to Andhra Pradesh
authorities for providing Hyderabad data.

I am thankful to Dhanunjaya Reddy for providing the Hyderabad city digital data, which I have
used in my thesis. I wish to thank my friends for supporting me in many ways. Last but not least,
I am deeply grateful to my family and my uncles M.A Quyyum and M.A Huyyum who supported
me in many ways.

Linkoping, May 2006

Imtiyaz Pasha

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Table of Contents
Introduction....................................................................................................................................8
1.1 Motivation..........................................................................................................................................................8
1.2 Problem Statement............................................................................................................................................8
1. 3 Purpose/Goal.....................................................................................................................................................9
1.4 Limitations.........................................................................................................................................................9
1.5 Thesis Outline..................................................................................................................................................10
Theoretical Frame........................................................................................................................11
2.1 Study Area.......................................................................................................................................................11
2.1.1 Population..................................................................................................................................................11
2.1.2 Cause for huge traffic flow........................................................................................................................12
2.1.3 Historical fact............................................................................................................................................12
2.1.4 Increase in Vehicles...................................................................................................................................14
2.1.5 Number of accidents in Andhra pradesh....................................................................................................16
2.2 GIS....................................................................................................................................................................16
2.2.1 GIS role in Transport.................................................................................................................................16
2.2.2 Database role in GIS-T..............................................................................................................................17
2.2.3 GIS and transport related fields of applications (GIS-T)...........................................................................17
2.3 ArcGIS.............................................................................................................................................................19
2.3.1 ArcMap......................................................................................................................................................19
2.3.2 Network Analyst........................................................................................................................................20
2.4 Global Positioning System..............................................................................................................................22
2.4.1 Fleet management......................................................................................................................................23
2.4.2 Data collection and mapping.....................................................................................................................24
2.4.3 Incident management.................................................................................................................................25
2.4.4 Vehicle navigation.....................................................................................................................................26
2.4.5 Transport of hazardous Materials..............................................................................................................27
2.4.6 Limitations of GPS....................................................................................................................................27
2.5 Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM)......................................................................................27
Methodology.................................................................................................................................31
3.1 Ambulance Management System prototype using GIS/GPS/GSM...........................................................31
3.1.1 Data Collection..........................................................................................................................................33
3.1.2 GIS database..............................................................................................................................................33
3.1.3 Analysis (GIS/GPS/GSM).........................................................................................................................37
3.1.4 AMS information for decision making......................................................................................................39
3.2 AMS User interface Development..................................................................................................................43
3.2.1 Mechanism................................................................................................................................................43
3.2.3 Nearest closest facility...............................................................................................................................44
3.2.4 Rapid prototyping model for AMS............................................................................................................44
3.2.5 Software development for AMS of Hyderabad City.................................................................................45
3.2.6 AMS user interface flow Chart..................................................................................................................46
3.2.7 AMS Input Sources...................................................................................................................................48
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3.2.8 Themes for Analysis..................................................................................................................................48
3.2.9 Designed Interface of AMS.......................................................................................................................48
3.2.10 Database Design of AMS user interface..................................................................................................52
Usability Test (Evaluation)..........................................................................................................54
4.1 User Test...........................................................................................................................................................54
4.2 Followed Paradigm..........................................................................................................................................54
4.2.1 Observations..............................................................................................................................................54
5.2.2 Interviews..................................................................................................................................................55
5.2.3 Questionnaires...........................................................................................................................................55
Results...........................................................................................................................................57
Discussion......................................................................................................................................70
6.1 Conclusion........................................................................................................................................................70
6.2 Future Work....................................................................................................................................................71
Bibliography.................................................................................................................................72
Appendix.......................................................................................................................................78

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List of Figures

2.1 Road network of Hyderabad city……………………………………………………………..13
2.2 Hyderabad police and fire station…………………………………………………………….13
2.3 Traffic jams are a familiar sight in the city…………………………………………...............14
2.4 Functionalities of ArcGIS9.1 network analyst extension…………………………………….21
2.5 Global Positioning System for Vehicle tracking System…………………………………….23
2.6 Road map of GPS tracking…………………………………………………………………...24
2.7 Basic modules (building blocks) for a location and navigation system……………………...26
2.8 Hazmat telegeomonitoring……………………………………………………………………28
2.9 GSM/GPS/GIS based System Architecture…………………………………………………..28
2.10 Modular Mobile Dispatching System (MMDS)…………………………………………….29
2.11 AMBULANCE system architecture………………………………………………………...30
3.1 Information flow after accident occurred on road network…………………………………..31
3.2 Methodology for AMS using GIS……………………………………………………………32
3.3 GIS database for analysis in ArcMap9.1……………………………………………………..34
3.4 Database use in AMS………………………………………………………………………...36
3.5 GIS/GPS/GSM technology…………………………………………………………………..37
3.6 AMS Architecture……………………………………………………………………………38
3.7 If accident site didn’t find than………………………………………………………………40
3.8 Telematics Applications……………………………………………………………………...42
3.9 Critical Time/ Space Elements………………………………………………………………43
3.10 Rapid prototyping model of AMS………………………………………………………….45
3.11 AMS flow chart…………………………………………………………………………….47
3.12 AMS Interface model……………………………………………………………………....51
3.13 OOGIS architecture of AMS user interface………………………………………………..52
4.1 Result from Evaluation……………………………………………………………………..55
5.1 To identify the accident…………………………………………………………………….58
5.2 To identify the ambulance locations……………………………………………………......59
5.3 To identify fastest route from all ambulances to accident site……………………………….60
5.4 To identify fastest routing ambulance to the accident………………………………………..61
5.5 To identify fastest route to the hospital……………………………………………………..62
5.6 Multiple accidents Scenario I……………………………………………………………….63
5.7 Multiple accidents Scenario II……………………………………………………………….64
5.8 During peak hours situation I……………………………………………………………......65
5.9 During peak hours situation II……………………………………………………………….66
5.10 During peak hours situation III……………………………………………………………..67
5.11 During peak hours situation IV……………………………………………………………..68
5.12 During peak hours situation V………………………………………………………………69
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List of Tables

2.1 Population of Hyderabad every decade………………………………………………………11
2.2 Composition of traffic flow in Major Corridors……………………………………………...15
2.3 Bus Fleet and No. of passengers carried per day……………………………………………..15
2.4 Number of Accidents in Hyderabad………………………………………………………….16
2.5 ArcGIS extensions……………………………………………………………………………20
3.1 AMS database…………………………………………………………………………….33-34
3.2 AMS Menus………………………………………………………………………………49-50
3.3 AMS Tools………………………………………………………………………………..50-51

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Chapter 1

Introduction

1.1 Motivation

In today’s traffic world, ambulance plays a major role when accident occurs on the road network
and need arises to save valuable human life. Transportation of a patient to emergency hospital
seems quite simple but in actual it is quite difficult and gets more difficult during peak hours.
Hyderabad is a growing metropolitan city with rapid increase in the number of vehicles, traffic
jams, lack of footpaths and unsafe roads for people to walk or to cross. Advanced Traveller
Information System (ATIS) by (Kumar .P et al 2003) for Hyderabad city is really a great work
indeed, but there is no Advance travelling system for ambulance movement. This ATIS is
developed using ArcView3.1, Network Analyst 1.1b and Avenue programming language. It can
be re-designed using more advanced GIS technologies and programming languages. National
Center of Immediate Assistance (EKAB) [Derekenaris .G 2000] has designed GIS/GPS/GSM
(G3) system for the ambulance management. G3 system is used to track low flying aircrafts and
vehicles on a digital map in real-time. This G3 system was a combination of GPS, GIS, and
GPRS (which is based on GSM technology) [Lin et al 2003]. These technologies really motivated
to be implemented in the more densely congested roads of Hyderabad city. In this thesis GIS-
based efficient ambulance routing system is developed using ArcGIS9.1 (Network Analyst
extension), real-time positioning techniques (GPS/GSM) and VBA. This proposed prototype
model will try to solve the routing problem of Ambulance (ambulance- accident location-
emergency hospital).
1.2 Problem Statement

Metropolitan areas across India are facing the problem of increase in congestion. Every year due
to traffic congestion millions of hours of vehicle delay increases in fuel consumption and
environmental pollution. Recurrent congestion is due to two major reasons.

• High levels of traffic demand during peak travel hours cause reduction in the available
roadway capacity.
• Traffic accidents and other incidents cause an unanticipated reduction in road capacity.

Traffic incidents are main cause for the problem of recurrent congestion especially when they
occur during peak hours. Incidents occur randomly during peak hour which may contribute to an
increased occurrence of certain types of traffic incidents [Maas et al 1998]. Different approaches
to solve problem of recurrent congestion have been proposed and are being implemented such as
road capacity expansion can alleviate congestion problems but may not be a solution that is
sustainable in the long run [Reddy J.S., 2006]. In Hyderabad city many flyovers have been built
in the last few years, but didn’t help in reducing traffic congestion. Construction of flyovers at
Secretariat, Narayanaguda and Masab Tank were major cause of obstructions to the free flow of
vehicles [Reddy J.S., 2006]. With the present growth rate the vehicular population of Hyderabad
is expected to cross 20 lakh (2 million) by 2010, having serious implications on emissions and
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quality of life [Reddy J.S., 2006]. Andhra Pradesh government took loans from World Bank and
roads were widened but didn’t help in a few places, lack (or disappearance) of footpaths resulted
in use of personal vehicles even for short distances by the commuters. It is difficult for people to
cross the roads during peak hours because more vehicles are moving on the roads. If a vehicle
travels from origin to destination during peak hours it takes longer time compared to normal time.

In Hyderabad city there are three Emergency service providers of the state government i.e. police,
hospitals and fire bridges. Most of the emergency hospital ambulances are equipped with
paramedics, even though they are unable to reach the incident site because of huge traffic at
junctions. Once the ambulance gets struck in traffic, it takes more-time to reach the incident and
it is obvious what happens to the patient till the ambulance reaches? Due to lack of verification
sometimes ambulance driver is unable to find the accident site as reported. Location, identity,
time and activity have been identified as primary context types for characterizing the situation of
an accident [Arrington& Cahill 2004]. Andhra Pradesh transport authorities have detailed
information on current features of the road network such as location, type, width, curvature,
altitude, slope etc, and will be stored in databases. This database must be updated frequently so
that it should be practically feasible. Dynamic data relevant to route performance includes details
such as current traffic flow or speed, weather, road surface conditions and variations in road
usage patterns due to events such as accidents, road maintenance or sports fixtures [Arrington&
Cahill 2004] should be provided to emergency service providers. This database and GIS together
can be helpful in finding the accidents on the road networks and the shortest & fastest route to the
accident site.
1. 3 Purpose/Goal

The main objective of this thesis is to build a GIS based prototype for the ambulance
management when an accident occurs on Hyderabad road networks. This Ambulance
Management System (AMS) is an integration of GIS (ArcGIS9.1 network analyst, GPS/GSM)
used for solving the routing and accident location problems during normal & peak hours such as.

1) To identify the accident on the road network.
2) To identify the ambulance locations on the road network in real-time using GPS
coordinates.
3) To find the fastest routes through which all the ambulances can reach the accident site.
4) To find the ambulance which can immediately reach the accident site as compared to
other ambulances is analysed.
5) After finding fastest route from the nearest ambulance to the accident location then the
fastest route from the accident site to the nearest hospital is calculated.
6) If more than one accident occurred on the road network, we have to find the fastest routes
through which ambulances can travel to reach all the accidents.
7) To find the fastest routes from all the accidents to reach the hospital immediately.
8) During the peak hours roads are congested, how ambulances should travel.
1.4 Limitations

AMS (Ambulance Management System) will provide speedy transportation of a patient when an
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accident occurs in Hyderabad city. AMS can be used for city wide, if the whole city street
network and hospitals database is available. This prototype for ambulance management is studied
on a small geographical area of Hyderabad city due to lack of data. This system can be developed
as whole model, but we need sufficient funding from Andhra Pradesh state government.
According to (Kumar P et al 2003), Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) should be cost
effective, efficient and at the same time it should be compatible with present level of
development in the related fields. Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) for life saving costs
more to government than whom should be responsible. Private sector companies should come
forward to have a part in development of the country.
1.5 Thesis Outline

The theory on present study area Hyderabad city uses Geographical Information System (GIS),
Global Positioning System (GPS) and Global Communication System (GSM) for vehicle location
system is described in Chapter 2(theoretical frame). In this chapter, research work in ambulance
location system using GIS is discussed in detail. Methodology of Ambulance Management
System (AMS) and its working prototype system design is described in chapter 3. The detailed
working design and working of Ambulance Management System (AMS) is also described.
Usability of the Ambulance Management System (AMS) user interface is tested by GIS users and
their comments are described in chapter 4. The results obtained from AMS are described in
chapter 5. In chapter 6, description about the future work related to AMS and what we concluded
from the ambulance management system.

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