An input-output model for resources planning in a medical care system

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Operations Research
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Healthcare systems are increasingly complex, necessitating effective resource planning.
• Understanding inter-entity interactions is crucial for efficient resource allocation.
• Current resource planning models may not adequately address regional and facility-level needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a directed graph model for healthcare resource planning.
• To aid in resource planning at both regional and medical facility levels.
• To address service duplication elimination, service sharing, and supply-demand balancing.

Main Methods:

• A directed graph framework where nodes represent service entities and branches represent interrelationships.
• Application of the model at the regional level (hospitals, clinics, support units) and medical facility level (departments).
• An iterative procedure to simulate the propagation effect of changes across entities.

Main Results:

• The model was successfully applied to a real-world problem at the medical center level.
• Results demonstrated strong correlation with an independent study, validating the model's effectiveness.
• The model facilitates balancing service supply and demand within medical facilities.

Conclusions:

• The directed graph model provides a valuable tool for healthcare resource planning.
• It effectively addresses challenges in service duplication, sharing, and supply-demand balancing.
• The model's simulation capability aids in strategic decision-making for healthcare systems.