Optimization Using Healthcare Examples

Assignment: Optimization Using Healthcare Examples

In what other ways might optimization be used to  maximize healthcare delivery? What types of processes and workflows are  best served by optimization in health services organizations?

Optimization is a vital prescriptive analytic  technique that healthcare administrators can use to help address  challenges in effective and efficient healthcare delivery. Health  decision makers may seek to find optimal solutions for a particular  objective given various constraints. For example, optimization is often  used for generating nursing staff schedules to ensure appropriate staff  coverage with varying patient inflows.

For this Assignment, you will be using  optimization techniques to evaluate two separate medical problems, one  involving mechanical heart valves and another involving a pharmaceutical  company. Review the resources for this week, and examine the different  optimization techniques that can be used for this Assignment.

For Chapter 13, problems 36 and 42, you will need to download the files P13_36.xlsx and P13_42.xlsx from the textbook companion website http://www.cengage.com/cgi-wadsworth/course_products_wp.pl?fid=M20b&product_isbn_issn=9781305947542.  Under “Book Resources”, click on “Student Downloads” to view the  downloadable files. Click “Problem Files” and download the zipped file  1305947541_538885.zip. Open the zipped file, and select folder “Problem  Files” and then select folder “Chapter 13” to access the files P13_36.xlsx and P13_42.xlsx.

The Assignment: (3–5 pages)

• Complete Problem 36 on page 657 (mechanical heart valves) and  Problem 42 on page 659 (pharmaceutical company) of your course text. 

Note: You will complete these problems using Excel and Solver.