The Stochastic Healthcare-Facility Configuration Problem

该奖项的研究目标包括随机医疗机构配置问题(SHFCP)的模型；优化SHFCP并对工作量、容量和资源进行建模的新知识库；以及评估方法并从重点案例研究中获得见解的计算测试。SHFCP将规定设施配置，包括每个设施的位置和大小(允许打开、扩张、收缩和关闭)以及它提供的服务-考虑到不确定的患者需求。目标是一种可扩展的方法来规划医疗设施配置，例如，根据需求和人口结构变化进行调整。在美国寻求扩大获得医疗服务的机会之际，这项工作是及时的。由于居民的数量、人口结构和健康状况；家庭医生短缺；以及旅行距离，农村医疗保健尤其成问题。医疗保健管理者可以使用这种方法来规划服务水平，政府官员可以使用这种方法来评估政策。该方法需要发展一个原型模型和解决方案方法，并推导出工作量、容量和预期资源的模型。计算测试将评估疗效并进行案例研究，基于医疗合作者提供的信息，并将重点放在农村医疗作为试验床。这项研究将产生五个重大的广泛影响。前两项包括对整个社会的好处，这些好处来自于解决实际SHFCP的能力，以及配置其他系统和解决对社会重要的其他领域的随机问题的结果的普遍性。第三个将通过传播产生，根据数据管理计划向公众提供数据访问；通过出版、演讲和大学教学广泛提供研究成果；以及安置学生。第四，将积极从任职人数不足的群体中招聘研究助理。第五个影响涉及教育：补充助学金将吸引本科生和高中教师。

The research objectives of this award include a model of the stochastic healthcare facility configuration problem (SHFCP); new knowledge bases to optimize SHFCP and to model workload, capacity, and recourse; and computational tests to evaluate methodology and gain insights from focused case study. SHFCP is to prescribe facility configuration, including the location and size (allowing openings, expansions, contractions, and closures) of each facility along with the services it offers - given uncertain patient needs. The goal is a scalable methodology to plan healthcare facility configuration, for example, adjusting to demand and demographic changes. This work is timely as the U.S. seeks to expand access to healthcare services. Rural healthcare is especially problematic due to the number, demographics, and health of residents; shortage of family doctors; and travel distances. The methodology can be used by healthcare administrators to plan levels of service and by government officials to evaluate policies. The method of approach entails evolving a prototype model along with solution methodology and deriving models of workload, capacity, and expected recourse. Computational tests will evaluate efficacy and undertake case study, based on information provided by healthcare collaborators and focused on rural healthcare as a testbed. The research will have five significant broad impacts. The first two comprise benefits to society at large, which accrue from the capability to solve actual SHFCPs and the generality of results in configuring other systems and solving stochastic problems in other areas important to society. The third will result from dissemination, providing public access to data according to the Data Management Plan; making research results widely available through publication, presentations, and teaching in universities; and placing students. The fourth is that research assistants will be actively recruited from under-represented groups. The fifth impact deals with education: supplementary grants will engage undergraduate students and high school teachers