Collaborative Research: Optimization of the Design and Operation of Surgery Delivery Systems

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This grant aims to improve the design and operation of surgical delivery systems (SDSs). There are four primary research goals. First, develop new models and methodologies for determining the optimal investment and configuration of surgical resources under uncertainty. Second, construct advance scheduling systems that allocate surgeries in a multi-OR setting. Third, develop robust real-time scheduling systems that consider the impact of unanticipated events on initial schedules. Fourth, develop a sophisticated discrete-event simulation model to evaluate the models described above, and compare them to existing policies. The broader impacts of this project will affect all Americans by improving the efficiency of a critical part of the health-care delivery system. ORs account for more than 40 percent of a hospital's revenues, and preliminary research indicates that these scarce resources are not being optimally deployed. Faster access to care will directly improve patient outcomes, and more efficient allocation of ORs will reduce health care costs, and permit health care providers to focus on other activities.