In what other ways might optimization be used to maximize healthcare delivery? What types of processes and workflows are best served by optimization in health services organizations?
Optimization is a vital prescriptive analytic technique that healthcare administrators can use to help address challenges in effective and efficient healthcare delivery. Health decision makers may seek to find optimal solutions for a particular objective given various constraints. For example, optimization is often used for generating nursing staff schedules to ensure appropriate staff coverage with varying patient inflows.
For this Assignment, you will be using optimization techniques to evaluate two separate medical problems, one involving mechanical heart valves and another involving a pharmaceutical company. Review the resources for this week, and examine the different optimization techniques that can be used for this Assignment.
For Chapter 13, problems 36 and 42, you will need to download the files P13_36.xlsx and P13_42.xlsx from the textbook companion website http://www.cengage.com/cgi-wadsworth/course_products_wp.pl?fid=M20b&product_isbn_issn=9781305947542. Under “Book Resources”, click on “Student Downloads” to view the downloadable files. Click “Problem Files” and download the zipped file 1305947541_538885.zip. Open the zipped file, and select folder “Problem Files” and then select folder “Chapter 13” to access the files P13_36.xlsx and P13_42.xlsx.
The Assignment: (3–5 pages)
- Complete Problem 36 on page 657 (mechanical heart valves) and Problem 42 on page 659 (pharmaceutical company) of your course text.
Expert Solution Preview
Optimization can be used in various ways to maximize healthcare delivery. One way is to optimize patient flow through the healthcare system, such as reducing wait times and ensuring patients are seen by the appropriate healthcare professionals in a timely manner. Another way is to optimize medication management, such as ensuring patients are prescribed the appropriate medications at the correct dosage and frequency. Additionally, optimizing staffing schedules and resource allocation can help ensure that healthcare organizations have the necessary resources available to provide high-quality care to patients.
Processes and workflows that are best served by optimization in health services organizations are those that involve complex decision-making processes and have many interdependent factors. For example, optimizing emergency department wait times involves multiple steps, including triage, diagnostic testing, and treatment, and requires coordination between healthcare professionals, ancillary staff, and support services. Similarly, optimizing medication management requires consideration of patient-specific needs, potential drug interactions, and the availability of medications within the healthcare organization. In general, any process or workflow that involves multiple inputs and outputs and requires coordination between different departments or stakeholders can benefit from optimization techniques.
