Search results

The purpose of this paper is to consider a number of issues around the poor adoption of healthcare simulation models and reflect whether there has been a broad failure of academic healthcare simulation modellers to build models that reflect real healthcare problems as acknowledged by healthcare stakeholders. This paper will also review the role of healthcare planners within the health sector and propose that they are well suited to act as change agents to improve the adoption of simulation within the sector.

This paper reviewed academic evidence around poor adoption of simulation modelling in healthcare, including differences to other sectors, its size and complexity, stakeholder issues and current and future challenges to improve operational efficiency. This paper also reviewed the role of healthcare planning and its valuable links with health stakeholders, suggesting that these links could be exploited to increase simulation modelling within the healthcare sector to improve operational efficiency.

This paper highlights the strong links between healthcare planning and the healthcare stakeholders and proposes that healthcare planning can play a key role in adoption of healthcare simulation modelling to achieve operational efficiency improvements.

This paper illustrates the potential link between healthcare planning and healthcare stakeholders to achieve operational improvements within the health sector.

Service‐oriented architecture is becoming increasingly important for healthcare delivery as it assures seamless integration internally between various teams and departments, and externally between healthcare organizations and their partners. In order to make healthcare more efficient and effective, we need to understand and evaluate its processes, and one way of achieving that is through process modeling. Modeling healthcare processes within a service‐oriented environment opens up new perspectives and raises challenging questions. The purpose of this paper is to investigate one of these questions, namely the suitability of web service orchestration and choreography, two closely related but fundamentally different methodologies for modeling web service‐based healthcare processes.

The authors use a case‐based approach that first developed a set of 12 features for modeling healthcare processes and then used the features to compare orchestration and choreography for modeling part of the scheduled workflow.

The findings show that neither methodology can, by itself, meet all healthcare modeling requirements in the context of the case study. The appropriate methodology must be selected after consideration of the specific modeling needs. The authors identified usability, capabilities, and evolution as three key considerations to assist with selection of a methodology for healthcare process modeling. Further, sometimes one method will not meet all modeling needs and hence the authors recommend combining the two methodologies in order to harness the benefits of modeling healthcare processes in a service‐oriented environment.

Although literature exists on process modeling of web services for healthcare, there are no criteria describing necessary features for micro‐level modeling, nor is there a comparison of the two leading service composition methodologies within the healthcare context. This paper provides some necessary formalization for process modeling in healthcare.

The purpose of this study is to explore the literature of healthcare service quality for identifying and analyzing the healthcare service quality models and dimensions and to present future research insights pertaining to the applications of these models and dimensions.

A literature review of healthcare service quality has been performed on 59 relevant studies after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. Google Scholar and Scopus are the primary sources to find the relevant documents. Search was limited to keywords of “service quality,” “healthcare,” “models” and “dimensions.”

The results revealed that different models and dimensions have been evolved and developed after SERVQUAL in healthcare service quality literature. There is still a need to develop new models, add new contextual dimensions and items in existing models on different aspects of healthcare services. There is also a need to incorporate the perspective of service providers as respondents. Moreover, healthcare service quality models can be devolved or narrowed down at department and individual levels.

This study presents valuable research insights for the researchers and practitioners in ways that healthcare service quality models and dimensions can be developed, modified and tested further in different research contexts and settings. Besides, the literature on healthcare services can be enhanced and enriched.

Barriers to adequate healthcare in rural areas remain a grand challenge for local healthcare systems. In addition to patients' travel burdens, lack of health insurance, and lower health literacy, rural healthcare systems also experience significant resource shortages, as well as issues with recruitment and retention of healthcare providers, particularly specialists. These factors combined result in complex change management-focused challenges for rural healthcare systems. Change management initiatives are often resource intensive, and in rural health organizations already strapped for resources, it may be particularly risky to embark on change initiatives. One way to address these change management concerns is by leveraging socio-technical simulation models to estimate techno-economic feasibility (e.g., is it technologically feasible, and is it economical?) as well as socio-utility feasibility (e.g., how will the changes be utilized?). We present a framework for how healthcare systems can integrate modeling and simulation techniques from systems engineering into a change management process. Modeling and simulation are particularly useful for investigating the amount of uncertainty about potential outcomes, guiding decision-making that considers different scenarios, and validating theories to determine if they accurately reflect real-life processes. The results of these simulations can be integrated into critical change management recommendations related to developing readiness for change and addressing resistance to change. As part of our integration, we present a case study showcasing how simulation modeling has been used to determine feasibility and potential resistance to change considerations for implementing a mobile radiation oncology unit. Recommendations and implications are discussed.

This study aims to identify empirically proven strategies for reducing healthcare supply chain inventory costs.

The author conducted in-depth interviews in 80 hospitals covering different supply chains. The author treated the healthcare firm as the unit of analysis and examined Vrat's taxonomy of inventory models based on the static and dynamic complexity theories of inventory models to identify an appropriate approach. The author addressed 33 highly priced and moderately priced stock-keeping units from 1,432 items and test several inventory policies. Next, the author applied combinations of inventory models, testing probabilistic hybrid inventory models.

The study finds that medical supplies, equipment, and medications are indispensable for a quality healthcare system. Hence, healthcare supply chain management (SCM) professionals must adopt basic inventory cost-reduction strategies, implementing inventory software functionalities effectively and efficiently. This study shows that probabilistic hybrid inventory techniques in healthcare SCM effectively determine an optimal stocking level, significantly reducing costs.

This study analyzes data from primary care and (to some extent) secondary care institutions. Although tertiary and quaternary care systems do not represent a large portion of the healthcare system, future research should also address these highly specialized organizations' needs.

This study proposes practical strategies to help continuously improve supply chain operations in healthcare organizations worldwide.

This study suggests probabilistic hybrid inventory models as empirically proven solutions for evaluating stock-keeping units in the healthcare sector. In doing so, the study provides a new healthcare supply chain approach, proposing a modified taxonomy of inventory models.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the viability of using distributed simulation to execute large and complex healthcare simulation models which help government take informed decisions.

The paper compares the execution time of a standalone healthcare supply chain simulation with its distributed counterpart. Both the standalone and the distributed models are built using a commercial simulation package (CSP).

The results show that the execution time of the standalone healthcare supply chain simulation increases exponentially as the size and complexity of the system being modelled increases. On the other hand, using distributed simulation approach decreases the run time for large and complex models.

The distributed approach of executing different parts of a single simulation model over different computers is only viable when the model: can be divided into logical parts and the exchange of information between these parts occurs at constant simulated time intervals; is sufficiently large and complicated, such that executing the model over a single processor is very time consuming.

Based on a feasibility study of the UK National Blood Service we demonstrate the effectiveness of distributed simulation and argue that it is a vital technique in healthcare informatics with respect to supporting decision making in large healthcare systems.

To the best of the knowledge, this is the first feasibility study in healthcare which shows the outcome of modelling and executing a distributed simulation using unmodified CSPs and a software/middleware for distributed simulation.

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.

In total, 142 high‐quality journal and conference papers have been identified from ISI Web of Knowledge data base for review and analysis.

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.

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.

The purpose of the study is to investigate critical factors affecting individuals’ intention to adopt internet of things (IoT) products in healthcare.

An integrated model was developed based on technology acceptance model (TAM), innovation diffusion theory (IDT), technological innovativeness (TI), protection motivation theory and privacy calculus theory. The model was tested with 426 respondents (222 females, 204 males) using partial least square structural equation model with all data grouped by gender.

Based on the results of the complete model, perceived advantage (PA), image and perceived ease of use (PEOU) constructs have a significant effect on intention to adopt IoT healthcare technology products. The results show that for females, compatibility and trialability have more impact on PEOU whereas for males PA has more impact on PEOU. Image, perceived privacy risk, perceived vulnerability have more impact on males when compared to females.

Research conducted only among Turkish people.

This study investigated adoption of future technology, “internet of things”, products in healthcare from a behavioral perspective by integrating various theories. The reason is that before launching any technology into the market, its facilitative factors should be researched for the people who are going to use this in their daily routine.

The scope of this study is to explore and summarize the pool of dimensions, models and measurement techniques of service quality used in healthcare services and to propose a comprehensive conceptual model for practitioners and researchers.

This research employs a comprehensive review of available literature by using multiple keywords on different electronic repositories using the recommendations of the PRISMA approach for the selection of articles. A critical analysis of available studies helped in compiling a list of core service quality dimensions in healthcare services.

This paper presents a comprehensive account of different dimensions and their measurement items used by various researchers to assess service quality in healthcare systems. Most of the researchers have used SERVQUAL model either in its original or modified form while the others have proposed and used totally different dimensions to assess the service quality in healthcare. Many dimensions are just an existing dimension of SERVQUAL that has undergone a name change while others are completely new. The dimensions used by many researchers have items drawn from more than one dimension of SERVQUAL model. The availability of so many dimensions and models adds to the confusion that researchers and practicing managers experience when determining the appropriate model to be used in their work. To mitigate this confusion, there is a need to develop a comprehensive model; the current work is an attempt to meet this need. Through our analysis, we identify four major service quality dimensions: clinical quality, infrastructural quality, relationship and managerial quality and propose a model named CIRMQUAL.

After exploring all available models in the domain of healthcare, this research presents the best possible areas to enhance the quality of healthcare services. It also enhances the research insights for academicians and working professionals by developing and proposing a comprehensive model for measuring healthcare service quality. The proposed model covers almost all of the service quality dimensions used by other researchers and will make the choice of dimensions/model easy for the future researchers/practitioners interested in measuring and improving the quality of services offered by their healthcare units. Such a comprehensive model has not been developed by any researcher thus far.

The article seeks to explain whether and how value-based healthcare principles lead to hybridization. The public management literature has been increasingly interested in hybrid forms of governance and hybrid performance management, but empirical studies are still rare. Further, the article studies the design of performance management and accounting systems as healthcare organizations reorganize their care processes applying value-based healthcare principles.

This article first connects the theoretical discussions on value-based healthcare and performance management for hybrids. The conceptual understanding of performance management in hybrid healthcare uses a case study of a Finnish healthcare organization with documentary data and transcribed interviews with healthcare professionals from both the strategic and operative levels of healthcare.

The article illustrates and analyses how new policy-level objectives and principles of value-based healthcare led to hybridity in healthcare, manifest in mixed ownership of a particular care path and new forms of social and financial control. Further, the article provides empirical evidence of how increased hybridity necessitated new organizational modes and roles, new managerial tools for performance management and created a need to develop the capability to account and measure entire integrated care processes. Important enabling factors for the integration of care and hybrid performance management were commitment created in dialogue, voluntary-based trust and technology to generate factual shared information.

The study is informative for stakeholders, funders and managers of healthcare organizations, namely new knowledge for the discussion of hybrid governance in healthcare, including a critical account of the applicability and impact of a hybrid service model in healthcare management. Moreover, the article illustrates what needs to be reconsidered in performance management and accounting practices when reorganizing care processes according to the principles of value-based healthcare.

The article extends the analysis of performance management in hybrids and sheds new light on hybridization in healthcare. It also provides much-needed empirical evidence on the processes and practices of accounting and performance management after implementing a value-based healthcare strategy.