Outpatient chemotherapy planning: A literature review with insights from a case study

ABSTRACT With an ageing population and more efficient treatments, demand for cancer care is increasing. Therefore, hospitals need to find ways to improve their operational efficiency for cancer care. In this article, we review the contributions in the operations management and operations research (OM/OR) literature that address the planning of outpatient chemotherapy, one of the main treatments for cancer. The distinctive characteristics of outpatient chemotherapy are highlighted. In particular, the interdependence between the administration of chemotherapy drugs in the outpatient clinic and drug preparation in the pharmacy is pointed out. This makes outpatient chemotherapy planning a multiple-department challenge where coordination is essential to the global performance of the system. The modeling challenges induced by this interdependence and by the clinical dimension of chemotherapy are presented. Finally, a case study is performed to confront the literature with the reality of a hospital. Important gaps in the literature are outlined, such as the lack of studies taking an integrated, systemic perspective on this multi-department issue.