Operations research within UK healthcare: a review

Abstract

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to identify the existing literature on the wide range of operations research (OR) studies applied to healthcare, and to classify studies based on application type and on the OR technique employed. The scope of the review is limited to studies which have been undertaken in the UK, and to papers published since the year 2000. Design/methodology/approach -In total, 142 high-quality journal and conference papers have been identified from ISI Web of Knowledge data base for review and analysis. Findings -The findings categorise the OR techniques employed, and analyse the application type, publication trends, funding, and software packages used in the twenty-first century in UK healthcare. Publication trends indicate an increasing use of OR techniques in UK healthcare. The findings show that, interestingly, the distribution of the OR techniques employed is not uniform; the majority of studies focus on simulation, either as the only technique employed or as one element of a multi-method approach. Originality/value -Several studies have focused on the use of simulation in healthcare modelling, but none has methodologically reviewed the use of the full range of OR techniques. This research is likely to benefit healthcare decision makers since it will provide them with an overview of the different studies that have utilised multiple OR techniques for investigating problems in the stated domain.

Simulation Modelling in Healthcare: An Umbrella Review of Systematic Literature Reviews

“…Table 2 presents the remaning 16 reviews which present multiple types of applications and the classification of the applications of simulation studies, within those articles [7,8,12,14,16,18,20,22,25,27,28,33,34,36,37,39]. The numbers of simulation studies relating to the different application groups were identified and extracted from the sixteen reviews.…”

Hybrid modeling for vineyard harvesting operations

“…Fakhimi and Mustafee (2012) suggested that combining Operations Research and Simulation techniques will reduce the limitations of individual methods and increase their capabilities. Few studies addressing this integration were reported in the fresh produce literature.…”

Modeling of healthcare systems: Past, current and future trends

“…Jun, Jacobson, and Swisher (1999) reviewed the modeling of healthcare systems, with an emphasis on Discrete-event Simulation, while Fone et al (2003) conducted a systematic review of the use of simulation modeling in population health. Fakhimi and Mustafee (2012) focused on UK healthcare modeling. A comprehensive review, which examined 342 articles based on nine criteria, was conducted by (Brailsford et al 2009).…”