Two-stage weighted PROMETHEE II with results' visualization.

Multicriteria decision-making methods are widely spread and used to assist the decision-makers to resolve problems. Many of the methods are simple to deploy (WSA, TOPSIS), which is an advantage and because of the computer boom, there is no problem with calculations. However, more sophisticated methods are evolving. The modelling of preferences is improved (from linear in WSA to Gaussian in PROMETHEE), multilevel decision-making (such as AHP) is extended to modelling of dependencies between individual criteria (ANP). The presented method, two-stage weighted PROMETHEE, combines the advantages of generalized preferential functions in PROMETHEE methods, unambiguous arrangement (PROMETHEE II) and hierarchical approach (AHP). In addition, this paper demonstrates the application of the method to evaluate the order of 14 regions of the Czech Republic in regard to economic indices such as the unemployment rate, economic activity, average age, wages, free working places, income, consumption and investments. Data are taken from the Czech Statistical Office web and include the years 2012-2019. In the first stage, the position of each region is calculated; in the second stage, all years mentioned are considered, including the aspect of the weighted time series. Result visualization is made possible using the Visual PROMETHEE software.

Inequalities in Health: Methodological Approaches to Spatial Differentiation.

The prevalence of inequalities in the general health position of communities can be assessed by using selected determinants. The aims of this article are three-fold: (1) to apply a comprehensive approach to the assessment of inequalities in the general health position of communities, (2) to determine the spatial differentiation of determinants, and (3) to present selected assessment methods and their impact on the results. To present a quantitative assessment of these inequalities in health status in communities, a composite indicator (Health Index) was developed. This Health Index is composed of 8 areas of evaluation and 60 indicators which include, amongst others, determinants of health status and healthcare at district level (LAU 1) in the Czech Republic. The data are evaluated using multicriteria decision-making methods (the WSA and TOPSIS methods). Findings suggest that, when all eight domains are assigned the same weight of one, the spatial differentiation among the districts is similar when using both methods. If different weightings are assigned to the districts, changes occur in both the index values and the rankings of the analyzed districts. For example, the allocation of weightings in both methods results in a rearrangement of the ranking of districts for which the Health Index is around the average.