Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) has spread around the world over time, impacting the majority of populations in most nations. Therefore, it is crucial to determine the most effective treatment method for GERD, because the most appropriate treatment option must be selected to reduce the effects of this disease and improve the quality of life of patients with this disease. This study aims to introduce a different perspective for determining the optimal treatment modality for the treatment of GERD.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: To determine the optimal treatment modality in the treatment of GERD, this study has applied the fuzzy TOPSIS method to evaluate Antacids, Histamine Blockers, Proton Pump Inhibitors, and Prokinetics which are treatment options for GERD against 15 criteria which are: Cost, Availability, Dose, Frequency, Allergy, Path, Safety, Efficacy, Age, Other Health Condition, GERD Stage, Treatment Duration, Success rate, Drug-Drug Interaction, and Drug-Food Interaction.

RESULTS: The closeness coefficients (Ci) for each treatment alternative are used to determine their rankings. The treatment alternative with the highest closeness coefficient is considered the best. The ranking shows that Proton Pump Inhibitors are the best treatment for GERD as they had the highest Ci value of 0.642. The treatment alternative with the lowest Ci value is Antacids with a Ci value of 0.33.

CONCLUSION: It is thought that implementing the fuzzy TOPSIS method will guide decision-makers to evaluate complex decisions more systematically and choose the most appropriate treatment modality. Consequently, it is thought that this study will help clinicians make more informed and scientifically based decisions in the treatment of GERD.