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Guitouni A, Belacel N, Benabbou L, Moa B, Erman M, Abdul H. Longitudinal bi-criteria framework for assessing national healthcare responses to pandemic outbreaks. Sci Rep 2024; 14:22109. [PMID: 39333580 PMCID: PMC11436803 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-69212-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2024] [Indexed: 09/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Pandemics like COVID-19 have illuminated the significant disparities in the performance of national healthcare systems (NHCSs) during rapidly evolving crises. The challenge of comparing NHCS performance has been a difficult topic in the literature. To address this gap, our study introduces a bi-criteria longitudinal algorithm that merges fuzzy clustering with Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). This new approach provides a comprehensive and dynamic assessment of NHCS performance and efficiency during the early phase of the pandemic. By categorizing each NHCS as an efficient performer, inefficient performer, efficient underperformer, or inefficient underperformer, our analysis vividly represents performance dynamics, clearly identifying the top and bottom performers within each cluster of countries. Our methodology offers valuable insights for performance evaluation and benchmarking, with significant implications for enhancing pandemic response strategies. The study's findings are discussed from theoretical and practical perspectives, offering guidance for future health system assessments and policy-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adel Guitouni
- Gustavson School of Business, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.
| | - Nabil Belacel
- Digital Technologies Research Center, National Research Council, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
| | - Loubna Benabbou
- Department of Management Sciences, Universite du Quebec a Rimouski, Rimouski, QC, Canada
| | - Belaid Moa
- Advanced Computing, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Munire Erman
- Respiratory Therapy, Medical Day Care, Cancer Care, Social Work, Maternity and Pediatrics Units, Campbell River General Hospital, Campbell River, BC, Canada
| | - Halim Abdul
- Department of Economics, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
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2
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Gavurova B, Kelemen M, Polishchuk V, Mudarri T, Smolanka V. A fuzzy decision support model for the evaluation and selection of healthcare projects in the framework of competition. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1222125. [PMID: 37614458 PMCID: PMC10442559 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1222125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Our research aims to support decision-making regarding the financing of healthcare projects by structural funds with policies targeting reduction of the development gap among different regions and countries of the European Union as well as the achievement of economic and social cohesion. A fuzzy decision support model for the evaluation and selection of healthcare projects should rank the project applications for the selected region, accounting for the investor's wishes in the form of a regional coefficient in order to reduce the development gap between regions. On the one hand, our proposed model evaluates project applications based on selected criteria, which may be structured, weakly structured, or unstructured. On the other hand, it also incorporates information on the level of healthcare development in the region. The obtained ranking increases the degree of validity of the decision regarding the selection of projects for financing by investors, considering the level of development of the region where the project will be implemented. At the expense of European Union (EU) structural funds, a village, city, region, or state can receive funds for modernization and development of the healthcare sector and all related processes. To minimize risks, it is necessary to implement adequate support systems for decision-making in the assessment of project applications, as well as regional policy in the region where the project will be implemented. The primary goal of this study was to develop a complex fuzzy decision support model for the evaluation and selection of projects in the field of healthcare with the aim of reducing the development gap between regions. Based on the above description, we formed the following scientific hypothesis for this research: if the project selected for financing can successfully achieve its stated goals and increase the level of development of its region, it should be evaluated positively. This evaluation can be obtained using a complex fuzzy model constructed to account for the region's level of development in terms of the availability and quality of healthcare services in the region where the project will be implemented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beata Gavurova
- Department of Addictology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General Teaching Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czechia
| | - Miroslav Kelemen
- Department of Flight Training, Faculty of Aeronautics, Technical University of Košice, Košice, Slovakia
| | - Volodymyr Polishchuk
- Department of Software Systems, Faculty of Information Technology, Uzhhorod National University, Uzhhorod, Ukraine
| | - Tawfik Mudarri
- Technical University of Košice, Faculty of Mining, Ecology, Process Control and Geotechnologies, Košice, Slovakia
| | - Volodymyr Smolanka
- Department of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Uzhhorod National University, Uzhhorod, Ukraine
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3
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Opoku P, Song H. Sustainability and affordability of Chinese-funded renewable energy project in sub-Saharan Africa: a hybridized solid oxide fuel cell, temperature sensors, and lithium-based solar system approach. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:80768-80790. [PMID: 37306880 PMCID: PMC10258784 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-27661-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Renewable energy projects are at the crux of all Chinese-funded investment in sub-Saharan Africa, which accounts for some 56% of all Chinese-led investments globally. However, the prevailing problem is that about 568 million people were still without electricity access in 2019 across urban and rural areas in sub-Saharan Africa, which does not commensurate with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG7) of ensuring affordable and clean energy for all. Previous studies have assessed and improved the efficiency of integrated power generation systems often combined on three levels, power plant, solar panel, and fuel cells, and integrated into national grids or off-grid systems for a sustainable supply of power. This study has included a lithium-ion storage system as a key component in a hybridized renewable energy generation system for the first time that has proven to be efficient and investment worthy. The study also examines the operational parameters of Chinese-funded power plant projects in sub-Saharan Africa and their effectiveness in achieving SDG-7. The novelty of this study is evident in the proposed integrated multi-level hybrid technology model of solid oxide fuel cells, temperature point sensors, and lithium batteries powered by a solar system and embedded in thermal power plants as an alternative electrical energy system for domestic and industrial use in sub-Saharan Africa. Performance analysis of the proposed power generation model indicates its complementary capacity of generating additional energy output with thermodynamics energy and exergy efficiencies of 88.2% and 67.0% respectively. The outcome of this study draws the attention of Chinese investors, governments in sub-Saharan African countries, and top industry players to the following: to consider refocusing their energy sector policy initiatives and strategies towards exploring the lithium resource base in Africa, optimizing energy generation cost, recouping optimal profit from their renewable energy technology investments, and making electricity supply clean, sustainable, and affordable for use in sub-Saharan Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prince Opoku
- School of Economics and Management, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210092 China
| | - Huaming Song
- School of Economics and Management, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210092 China
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Abbaspour Onari M, Jahangoshai Rezaee M. Implementing bargaining game-based fuzzy cognitive map and mixed-motive games for group decisions in the healthcare supplier selection. Artif Intell Rev 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s10462-023-10432-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/15/2023]
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5
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Efficiency Measurement Using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) in Public Healthcare: Research Trends from 2017 to 2022. Processes (Basel) 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/pr11030811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
With the shifting healthcare environment, the importance of public healthcare systems is being emphasized, and the efficiency of public healthcare systems has become a critical research agenda. We reviewed recent research on the efficiency of public healthcare systems using DEA, which is one of the leading methods for efficiency analysis. Through a systematic review, we investigated research trends in terms of research purposes, specific DEA techniques, input/output factors used for models, etc. Based on the review results, future research directions are suggested. The results of this paper provide valuable information and guidelines for future DEA research on public healthcare systems.
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Klumpp M, Loske D, Bicciato S. COVID-19 health policy evaluation: integrating health and economic perspectives with a data envelopment analysis approach. THE EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF HEALTH ECONOMICS : HEPAC : HEALTH ECONOMICS IN PREVENTION AND CARE 2022; 23:1263-1285. [PMID: 35015167 PMCID: PMC8748527 DOI: 10.1007/s10198-021-01425-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic is a global challenge to humankind. To improve the knowledge regarding relevant, efficient and effective COVID-19 measures in health policy, this paper applies a multi-criteria evaluation approach with population, health care, and economic datasets from 19 countries within the OECD. The comparative investigation was based on a Data Envelopment Analysis approach as an efficiency measurement method. Results indicate that on the one hand, factors like population size, population density, and country development stage, did not play a major role in successful pandemic management. On the other hand, pre-pandemic healthcare system policies were decisive. Healthcare systems with a primary care orientation and a high proportion of primary care doctors compared to specialists were found to be more efficient than systems with a medium level of resources that were partly financed through public funding and characterized by a high level of access regulation. Roughly two weeks after the introduction of ad hoc measures, e.g., lockdowns and quarantine policies, we did not observe a direct impact on country-level healthcare efficiency, while delayed lockdowns led to significantly lower efficiency levels during the first COVID-19 wave in 2020. From an economic perspective, strategies without general lockdowns were identified as a more efficient strategy than the full lockdown strategy. Additionally, governmental support of short-term work is promising. Improving the efficiency of COVID-19 countermeasures is crucial in saving as many lives as possible with limited resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Klumpp
- Chair of Production and Logistics Management, Department for Business Administration, Georg-August-University of Göttingen, Platz der Göttinger Sieben 3, 37073, Göttingen, Germany.
- FOM University of Applied Sciences Essen, Leimkugelstr. 6, 45141, Essen, Germany.
- Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML Dortmund, J.-v.-Fraunhofer-Str. 2-4, 44227, Dortmund, Germany.
| | - Dominic Loske
- Chair of Production and Logistics Management, Department for Business Administration, Georg-August-University of Göttingen, Platz der Göttinger Sieben 3, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
- FOM University of Applied Sciences Essen, Leimkugelstr. 6, 45141, Essen, Germany
| | - Silvio Bicciato
- Interdepartmental Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine (CIDSTEM), Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Gottardi 100, 41125, Modena, Italy
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Chu J, Li X, Yuan Z. Emergency medical resource allocation among hospitals with non-regressive production technology: A DEA-based approach. COMPUTERS & INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING 2022; 171:108491. [PMID: 35892084 PMCID: PMC9304119 DOI: 10.1016/j.cie.2022.108491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2021] [Revised: 06/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
This paper proposes an approach for medical resource allocation among hospitals under public health emergencies based on data envelopment analysis (DEA). First, the DEA non-regressive production technology is adopted to ensure that the DMU can always refer to the most advanced production technology throughout all production periods. Based on the non-regressive production technology, two efficiency evaluation models are presented to calculate the efficiencies of DMUs before and after resource allocation. Our theoretical analysis shows that all the DMUs can be efficient after medical resource allocation, and thus a novel resource allocation possibility set is developed. Further, two objectives are considered and a bi-objective resource allocation model is developed. One objective is to maximize the output target realizability of the DMUs, while the other is to ensure the allocated resource to each DMU fits with its operation size, preperformance, and operation practice (i.e., proportion of critically ill patients). Additionally, a trade-off model is proposed to solve the bi-objective model to obtain the final resource allocation results. The proposed approach contributes by ensuring that the medical resources are allocated in such a way that they can all be efficiently used as well as considering multiple objectives and practical constraints that make the approach more fitted with the practical application scenarios. Finally, a case study of 30 hospitals in Wuhan during the COVID-19 epidemic is applied to illustrate the proposed approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junfei Chu
- School of Business, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410083, PR China
| | - Xiaoxue Li
- School of Business, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410083, PR China
| | - Zhe Yuan
- Léonard de Vinci Pôle Universitaire, Research Center, 92 916 Paris La Défense, France
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Nepomuceno TCC, Piubello Orsini L, de Carvalho VDH, Poleto T, Leardini C. The Core of Healthcare Efficiency: A Comprehensive Bibliometric Review on Frontier Analysis of Hospitals. Healthcare (Basel) 2022; 10:healthcare10071316. [PMID: 35885842 PMCID: PMC9318001 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare10071316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Parametric and non-parametric frontier applications are typical for measuring the efficiency and productivity of many healthcare units. Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, hospital efficiency is the center of academic discussions and the most desired target for many public authorities under limited resources. Investigating the state of the art of such applications and methodologies in the healthcare sector, besides uncovering strategical managerial prospects, can expand the scientific knowledge on the fundamental differences among efficiency models, variables and applications, drag research attention to the most attractive and recurrent concepts, and broaden a discussion on the specific theoretical and empirical gaps still to be addressed in future research agendas. This work offers a systematic bibliometric review to explore this complex panorama. Hospital efficiency applications from 1996 to 2022 were investigated from the Web of Science base. We selected 65 from the 203 most prominent works based on the Core Publication methodology. We provide core and general classifications according to the clinical outcome, bibliographic coupling of concepts and keywords highlighting the most relevant perspectives and literature gaps, and a comprehensive discussion of the most attractive literature and insights for building a research agenda in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thyago Celso Cavalcante Nepomuceno
- Núcleo de Tecnologia, Federal University of Pernambuco, Caruaru 55014-900, Brazil
- Dipartimento di Economia Aziendale, University of Verona, Via Cantarane, 24, 37129 Verona, Italy; (L.P.O.); (C.L.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-351-798-6602
| | - Luca Piubello Orsini
- Dipartimento di Economia Aziendale, University of Verona, Via Cantarane, 24, 37129 Verona, Italy; (L.P.O.); (C.L.)
| | | | - Thiago Poleto
- Departamento de Administração, Federal University of Pará, Belém 66075-110, Brazil;
| | - Chiara Leardini
- Dipartimento di Economia Aziendale, University of Verona, Via Cantarane, 24, 37129 Verona, Italy; (L.P.O.); (C.L.)
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Soroush F, Nabilou B, Faramarzi A, Yusefzadeh H. A study of the evacuation and allocation of hospital beds during the Covid-19 epidemic: a case study in Iran. BMC Health Serv Res 2022; 22:864. [PMID: 35790966 PMCID: PMC9254655 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-022-08286-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Shortage of resources, such as hospital beds, needed for health care especially in times of crisis can be a serious challenge for many countries. Currently, there is no suitable model for optimal allocation of beds in different hospital wards. The Data Envelopment Analysis method (DEA) has been used in the present study to examine the evacuation and allocation of hospital beds during the covid-19 pandemic in order to contribute to effective planning for fighting the spread the covid-19 virus. Methods The present study was conducted in two stages in hospitals affiliated with Urmia University of Medical Sciences (UUMS) in 2021. First, the number of excess beds was determined by calculating the technical efficiency using the DEA method and Deap2.1 software. To reallocate excess beds to covid-19 patients, the types of hospital wards were considered. As a result of this analysis, the inefficient hospitals with excess beds in different wards, which could be used for covid-19 patients with more serious symptoms, were identified. Results The results of the study show that the average technical efficiency of the studied hospitals was 0.603. These hospitals did not operate efficiently in 2021 and their current output can be produced with less than 61% of the used input. Also, the potential of these hospitals, over a period of 1 year, for the evacuation of beds and reallocation of them to covid-19 patients was calculated to be 1781 beds, 450 of which belonged to general wards and 1331 belonged to specialized wards. Conclusions The DEA method can be used in the allocation of resources in hospitals. Depending on the type of hospital wards and the health condition of patients, this method can help policy-makers identify hospitals with the best potential but less emergency services for the purpose of reallocation of resources, which can help reduce the severe effects of crises on health resources. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12913-022-08286-7.
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Jahani Sayyad Noveiri M, Kordrostami S. Sustainability assessment using a fuzzy DEA aggregation approach: a healthcare application. Soft comput 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00500-021-05992-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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11
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Bhatia M. Intelligent System of Game-Theory-Based Decision Making in Smart Sports Industry. ACM T INTEL SYST TEC 2021. [DOI: 10.1145/3447986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Internet of Things (IoT) technology backed by Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques has been increasingly utilized for the realization of the Industry 4.0 vision. Conspicuously, this work provides a novel notion of the smart sports industry for provisioning efficient services in the sports arena. Specifically, an IoT-inspired framework has been proposed for real-time analysis of athlete performance. IoT data is utilized to quantify athlete performance in the terms of probability parameters of Probabilistic Measure of Performance (PMP) and Level of Performance Measure (LoPM). Moreover, a two-player game-theory-based mathematical framework has been presented for efficient decision modeling by the monitoring officials. The presented model is validated experimentally by deployment in District Sports Academy (DSA) for 60 days over four players. Based on the comparative analysis with state-of-the-art decision-modeling approaches, the proposed model acquired enhanced performance values in terms of Temporal Delay, Classification Efficiency, Statistical Efficacy, Correlation Analysis, and Reliability.
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de Campos EAR, Tavana M, Ten Caten CS, Bouzon M, de Paula IC. A grey-DEMATEL approach for analyzing factors critical to the implementation of reverse logistics in the pharmaceutical care process. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:14156-14176. [PMID: 33206293 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-11138-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
There is an increasing interest in product recovery, closed-loop supply chains, and reverse logistics (RL) for mitigating environmental impairment. Although RL is becoming a mandatory policy in developed countries, it is still in an embryonic stage in some industrial sectors of emerging economies. The purpose of this study is twofold: (1) identify the critical factors to the successful implementation of RL in the Brazilian pharmaceutical care process (PCP) and (2) determine the cause-and-effect relationships among them. We use snowball sampling to select the relevant RL studies and deductive reasoning and classification to identify the critical factors and a grey decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) to evaluate the cause-and-effect relationships among them. The study revealed management, collaboration, information technology, infrastructure, policy, financial and economic, end-of-life management practices, and logistic performance factors as the most relevant factors to the successful implementation of RL in the Brazilian PCP. The end-of-life management practices were identified as the most critical factor, and information technology was identified as the least critical factor. We further determined the end-of-life management practices and policy have the strongest casual relationship. The municipal PCP coordinators can use the findings of this study to formulate mitigating strategies to identify and eliminate barriers to the successful implementation of RL in the Brazilian PCP.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Madjid Tavana
- Business Systems and Analytics Department, Distinguished Chair of Business Analytics, La Salle University, Philadelphia, PA, 19141, USA.
- Business Information Systems Department, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, University of Paderborn, Paderborn, Germany.
| | - Carla Schwengber Ten Caten
- Department of Industrial Engineering, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Marina Bouzon
- Department of Production and Systems Engineering, Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Istefani Carísio de Paula
- Department of Industrial Engineering, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
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Ferraz D, Mariano EB, Manzine PR, Moralles HF, Morceiro PC, Torres BG, de Almeida MR, Soares de Mello JC, Rebelatto DADN. COVID Health Structure Index: The Vulnerability of Brazilian Microregions. SOCIAL INDICATORS RESEARCH 2021; 158:197-215. [PMID: 33967373 PMCID: PMC8096891 DOI: 10.1007/s11205-021-02699-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Many developing countries have highly unequal health systems across their regions. The pandemic of COVID-19 brought an additional challenge, as hospital structures equipped with doctors, intensive care units and respirators are not available to a sufficient extent in all regions. Using Data Envelopment Analysis, we create a COVID Index to verify whether the hospital structures in 543 Brazilian microregions are adequate to deal with COVID-19 and to verify whether public policies were implemented in the right direction. The results indicate that hospital structures in the poorest microregions were the most vulnerable, although the peak of COVID-19 occurred in the richest microregions (Sao Paulo). The Southeast states could relocate hospital resources or even patients between their regions. The relocation was not possible in many states in the Northeast, as the health system poorly assisted the interior of these states. These findings reveal that the heterogeneity of microregions' hospital structures follows the patterns of socioeconomic inequalities. We conclude that it is easier for the wealthier regions to reallocate hospital resources internally than for the poorest regions. By using the COVID Index, policymakers and hospital managers have straightforward information to decide which regions must receive new investments and reallocate underutilized resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diogo Ferraz
- Department of Innovation Economics, University of Hohenheim, Wollgrasweg 23, 2nd floor, Room 520i, Stuttgart, Germany
- Department of Economics, Federal University of Ouro Preto (UFOP), Rua do Catete 166 Centro, Mariana/MG, 35420-000 Brazil
- Department of Production Engineering, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Núcleo Residencial Presidente Geisel, Avenida Engenheiro Luiz Edmundo Carrijo Coube, 14-01, Bauru, 17033360 Brazil
| | - Enzo Barberio Mariano
- Department of Production Engineering, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Núcleo Residencial Presidente Geisel, Avenida Engenheiro Luiz Edmundo Carrijo Coube, 14-01, Bauru, 17033360 Brazil
| | - Patricia Regina Manzine
- Department of Gerontology, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), Rod. Washington Luiz, s/n, São Carlos, SP 13565-905 Brazil
| | - Herick Fernando Moralles
- Department of Production Engineering, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), Rod. Washington Luiz, s/n, São Carlos, SP 13565-905 Brazil
| | - Paulo César Morceiro
- DST/NRF South African Chair in Industrial Development, College of Business and Economics, University of Johannesburg, 31 Henley Road, Aucklandpark, Johannesburg, 2092 South Africa
| | - Bruno Guimarães Torres
- Department of Production Engineering, Fluminense Federal University (UFF), Rua Passo da Pátria, Campus Praia Vermelha, Bloco D - sala 309, Niterói, 24210-240 Brazil
| | - Mariana Rodrigues de Almeida
- Department of Production Engineering, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Av. Senador Salgado Filho, n° 3000, Campus Universitário Lagoa Nova - Centro de Tecnologia, Natal, 59078-970 Brazil
| | - João Carlos Soares de Mello
- Department of Production Engineering, Fluminense Federal University (UFF), Rua Passo da Pátria, Campus Praia Vermelha, Bloco D - sala 309, Niterói, 24210-240 Brazil
| | - Daisy Aparecida do Nascimento Rebelatto
- Department of Production Engineering, University of São Paulo (EESC/USP), Av. Trab. São Carlense, 400 - Parque Arnold Schimidt, São Carlos, 13566-590 Brazil
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A DEA-Based Complexity of Needs Approach for Hospital Beds Evacuation during the COVID-19 Outbreak. JOURNAL OF HEALTHCARE ENGINEERING 2020; 2020:8857553. [PMID: 33029339 PMCID: PMC7528060 DOI: 10.1155/2020/8857553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is a powerful nonparametric engineering tool for estimating technical efficiency and production capacity of service units. Assuming an equally proportional change in the output/input ratio, we can estimate how many additional medical resource health service units would be required if the number of hospitalizations was expected to increase during an epidemic outbreak. This assessment proposes a two-step methodology for hospital beds vacancy and reallocation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The framework determines the production capacity of hospitals through data envelopment analysis and incorporates the complexity of needs in two categories for the reallocation of beds throughout the medical specialties. As a result, we have a set of inefficient healthcare units presenting less complex bed slacks to be reduced, that is, to be allocated for patients presenting with more severe conditions. The first results in this work, in collaboration with state and municipal administrations in Brazil, report 3772 beds feasible to be evacuated by 64% of the analyzed health units, of which more than 82% are moderate complexity evacuations. The proposed assessment and methodology can provide a direction for governments and policymakers to develop strategies based on a robust quantitative production capacity measure.
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Road map for progress and attractiveness of Iranian hospitals by integrating self-organizing map and context-dependent DEA. Health Care Manag Sci 2019; 22:410-436. [PMID: 31081531 DOI: 10.1007/s10729-019-09484-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2018] [Accepted: 04/09/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Hospitals play an important role in healthcare systems and usually stay on the end node of the healthcare chain. Thus, determining their road map to get close to the desired efficiency frontier and developing short-term and long-term plans could help to manage costs and resources, efficiently. As the efficiency frontier depends on the size of the hospital and the complexity of its structure, the homogeneity in benchmarking must be considered. For tackling this problem, the self-organizing map (SOM) is used to create homogeneous groups. On the other hand, data envelopment analysis (DEA) is a well-known methodology for evaluating decision-making units. Each unit obtains the efficiency score based on the ratio of weighted outputs to weighted inputs, where each unit can take the desirable weights for inputs and outputs to provide the maximum value. One of the problems of DEA is the selection of the reference set and distinguishing between the efficient hospitals. To overcome these problems, the context-depended DEA has been applied and the progress and attractiveness of hospitals are obtained. To evaluate the capability of the proposed approach, data of 288 Iranian hospitals are utilized. By applying SOM the hospitals are clustered into appropriate homogeneous groups and by applying context-dependent DEA, the road map for progress and attractiveness of each hospital is determined. In other words, using the proposed approach the hospitals are able to determine the short and long-term goals according to their strategic plans.
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