How can you use operations research to improve health care outcomes?

1 What is health care OR?

Health care OR is the application of OR techniques and tools to health care problems, such as resource allocation, scheduling, quality improvement, performance evaluation, and policy analysis. Health care OR aims to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and equity of health care delivery, while considering the multiple objectives and constraints of various stakeholders, such as patients, providers, payers, and regulators. Health care OR can help answer questions such as: How can we reduce waiting times and improve patient satisfaction? How can we allocate scarce resources, such as beds, staff, and equipment, to meet the demand? How can we design and evaluate health care policies and interventions?

2 What are some examples of health care OR methods?

When it comes to solving health care problems, there are many OR methods that can be employed, depending on the nature and scope of the problem, the available data, and the desired outcomes. Linear programming (LP) is a popular method for finding optimal solutions to problems involving linear objectives and constraints. This technique can be used to optimize the allocation of nurses to shifts or the distribution of vaccines to clinics. Simulation is another method which uses computer models and random variables to mimic real-world systems. This approach can be used to analyze different scenarios and policies on the spread of infectious diseases or the performance of emergency departments. Decision analysis is another useful tool which evaluates and compares alternatives based on their expected outcomes and uncertainties. This technique can be used for clinical decision making or assessing the cost-effectiveness of health care interventions. Finally, data envelopment analysis (DEA) is a method for measuring and comparing efficiency between units or entities such as hospitals, clinics, or physicians by using multiple inputs and outputs. DEA can be used to benchmark and rank health care providers or identify best practices and areas for improvement.

3 What are some benefits of health care OR?

Health care OR can provide many benefits for health care decision makers and stakeholders, such as enhancing the quality and safety of services, increasing the productivity and profitability of organizations, supporting evidence-based decision making, and facilitating innovation and transformation. By leveraging OR, errors, delays, and waste can be reduced while patient outcomes and satisfaction can be improved. Furthermore, resources can be optimized, costs can be reduced, revenues can be increased, quantitative data can be provided, and new ideas and solutions can be explored.

4 What are some challenges of health care OR?

Health care OR is faced with some challenges and limitations, such as dealing with the complexity and uncertainty of health care systems, which include multiple and interrelated factors, variables, and outcomes, as well as the lack of reliable and accurate data. Additionally, it can be difficult to balance the conflicting interests and preferences of different stakeholders, who may have different goals, values, and perspectives. Finally, communicating and implementing the results and recommendations of OR studies may require clear and persuasive presentation, collaboration and negotiation, as well as change management skills.

5 How can you learn more about health care OR?

If you are interested in learning more about health care OR, there are many resources and opportunities available. You can read books and journals, such as Health Care Management Science, Operations Research for Health Care, and Handbook of Healthcare Operations Management. Courses and programs that teach the fundamentals and applications of health care OR are also available, such as Coursera's Operations Research for Health Care Delivery or MIT's Healthcare Delivery in Challenging Settings. Additionally, you can join professional associations and networks that promote and support the development and dissemination of health care OR, like the Health Applications Society of INFORMS or the EURO Working Group on Operational Research Applied to Health Services.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?