Operations research applications in hospital operations: Part I

Abstract Hospital managers are tasked with developing innovative strategies to provide patients with quality healthcare in an effective and efficient manner. Variability within the healthcare delivery system can result in bottlenecks causing department overcrowding, increased staff workload, reduced quality of care, and patient and staff dissatisfaction (Helm et al., 2011). Operations research (OR) methods have been applied to hospital operations to improve effectiveness and efficiency.  In this three-part article, we review OR applications in hospital environments. In particular, we develop a timeline of events in US healthcare from the late 1940s to 2015 and separate the timeline into four eras: Expansion, Cost Control, Reform, and Accountability. Part I of the article describes the Eras of Expansion and Cost Control, part II describes the Era of Reform, and part III describes the Era of Accountability. Research performed during each era is contextualized and stratified by OR method and hospital operations application area.  The OR methods commonly applied to the hospital operations setting were deterministic; stochastic; discrete event simulation; and Monte Carlo simulation modeling methods. The article indicates the hospital operation areas for which these OR methods are applied and discusses how methods were used as the US healthcare system changed over time.