Date of Award

8-1975

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

First Advisor

James H. Chiomen

Second Advisor

A. T. Dicke

Third Advisor

Farrell B. Brown

Abstract

The objective of this study is to present an operations research approach for reducing cost in the small health care delivery facility through more effective systems management. A method for completing a total system study of operational and planning policies is presented. The problems and objectives of the health care system in general are discussed. Specific attention is given to the problems and objectives of inpatient and outpatient clinics, system inventory and system management. Five simulation models for use in examining operational and planning policies of the inpatient clinic, the outpatient clinic, the system inventory and the system management are presented. The models presented are sufficiently general to allow application to similar systems with a minimum of progranuning effort. While the models presented have been developed for use in performing a total system study they will prove useful in examining individual subsystems. The models are examined in an application to the Redfern health care system. Methods of data collection and analysis and model validation are discussed. Each of the models are used to examine operational and planning policies in order to determine the "best" configuration for each of the subsystems. The configurations deterrnined under each of the submodels are used to perform a total systems study. Many of the policies deter1nined in the total system study will be implemented in the Redfern system.

Download

Share

COinS