The prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease (CVD) are necessary to improve patient quality of life and to reduce the burden of medical and other social problems. Reducing the impact of CVD through environmental intervention was hailed as the most economical approach and research into such interventions is becoming key. The purpose of this article is to summarize the research topics and developments in the field of the built environment and CVD between 2000 and 2021 using scientometric analysis. In total, 1304 records retrieved from the Web of Science core database were analyzed using CiteSpace software, and the results were displayed using knowledge mapping. The number of publications and conferences relating to the built environment and CVD showed an upward trend over the study period, with the United States taking the lead. Physical activity and the food environment were used as mediators and entry points to map the relationship between the built environment and CVD. Walkability, residence characteristics, the food environment, and greenness were key research topics. Research shifted over the period to incorporate quantitative analyses of subjective feelings while focusing on decreasing sedentary behavior. Understanding the variability in the built environment is critical to improving the generalizability of the findings presented in the individual studies. Inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary research is conducive to innovation and ensuring the integration of real environmental elements. This study provides an overview and valuable guidance for researchers relating to how the built environment impacts CVD.
We address the problem of scheduling patient appointments in a family medicine clinic. A significant barrier to a clinic's sustainability is under-utilization of the medical providers it employs. Practically all patient appointments are scheduled some time in advance (from an hour to months ahead), and under-utilization happens because some patients do not keep their appointments and do not provide sufficient notice for the clinic to reschedule another patient into the freed slot. Using a stylized simulation model we investigate an algorithm for appointment capacity release that increases provider utilization.
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