Health care systems are among the most challenging systems from an operations research and management science (OR/MS) perspective. There is certainly no shortage of operational and strategic challenges that could benefit from evidence-based decision support perspectives [1]. Seasoned practitioners in OR/MS understand that not all OR/MS projects yield the desired outcomes. The challenges often cited refer to technical issues such as data quality and computational limitations. However, often the barriers to success are related to softer, non-technical considerations such as inadequate understanding of the system to be analyzed or modeled, insufficient involvement of the client in developing solution alternatives, and insufficient change management support to ensure the client derives the intended value from the project. This article will highlight the specific challenges typically encountered in applying OR/MS in the Canadian hospital based acute care system, potential avenues to mitigate these challenges and present several successful applications of OR/MS in health care.
Volume 35, Number 2, April 2008
FEATURE ARTICLES
DIGITAL EDITION
DEPARTMENTS 
Inside Story
Welcome to O.R. World
If ever there was a sector of the economy crying out for operations research-type analysis, it’s the health care industry. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the United States spends more on health care, both as a proportion of gross domestic product (GDP) and on a per-capita basis, than any other nation in the world. In 2007, the U.S. spent an estimated $2.26 trillion on health care, representing about 16 percent of GDP, yet the U.S. ranked 37th in overall performance in a 2000 WHO study of health care systems.
President's Desk
Grand Challenges for O.R. and Engineering
Recognizing that engineering advancements can “help people and the planet thrive” [1], the U.S. National Academy of Engineering (NAE) convened a panel in 2006 of accomplished engineers and scientists to identify the grand challenges for engineering in the 21st century. Last month, the panel’s list was released, and the following 14 challenges were identified [2]): 1) making solar energy affordable; 2) providing energy from fusion; 3) developing carbon sequestration methods; 4) managing the nitrogen cycle; 5) providing access to clean water; 6) restoring and improving urban infrastructure; 7) advancing health informatics; 8) engineering better medicines; 9) reverse-engineering the brain; 10) preventing nuclear terror; 11) securing cyberspace; 12) enhancing virtual reality; 13) advancing personalized learning; and 14) engineering the tools for scientific discovery.
Issues in Education
A Critical Look at Critical Thinking
“In the old days we used to teach pivot tables in the MBA core,” my colleague tells me in hushed tones. I am left to ponder if the hushed tones reflect reverence for the magnificent Simplex method or wonder at the effrontery of those who dared to deliver such material. What I do know is that when the AACSB removed management science from its core requirements for MBA accreditation, its wholesale removal from many (most?) MBAs programs followed shortly thereafter [1]. In more recent history it has been successfully reintroduced to the MBA curriculum through spreadsheet modeling courses [2]. However, today I come neither to bury “Management Science”nor to praise it, but merely to muse at its relationship to a new development in the MBA curriculum “critical thinking.”
INFORMS in the News
P&G, O.R. Star in BNET.com Series
Operations research was the subject of a major series of online stories that appeared on the management Web site BNET.com. Headlined “P&G’s Secret Weapon: ‘OR Inside,’ ” the story examines in detail the successes of the O.R. group at Procter & Gamble, which is headed by INFORMS Roundtable member Glenn Wegryn. It contains a video interview with OR/MS Today columnist Vijay Mehrotra, a sidebar about the future of O.R. and key terms and players in O.R. This is a must-see online article! Access it by going to BNet.com and searching on the article’s title or by going directly to http://www.bnet.com/2436-13241_23-88245.html.
Was It Something I Said
School of Hard Knocks
There is a sharp knock at the door. She is a good student, intense and motivated but with a tendency to take things a bit too seriously. Because her class schedule does not jibe well with my office hours, she has an uncanny knack for dropping in at the wrong time.
PuzzlOR
Scheduling Problem
After faithfully serving the O.R. profession for 50 years, you decide to retire and open a restaurant. Among the hundreds of details with opening a restaurant, you need to hire and schedule employees. Based on the foot traffic of other restaurants in the area, you expect that you will need the following number of employees each day:
Roundtable Profile
A Story of Excellence at Hewlett-Packard
Hewlett-Packard is a technology company that operates in more than 170 countries around the world. We explore how technology and services can help people and companies address their problems and challenges, and realize their possibilities, aspirations and dreams.
ORacle
The Math Teacher’s Parable
The high school the O.R. analyst had attended somehow looked older and smaller than he remembered, but his favorite math teacher was still there, looking only slightly the worse for aging and mileage. “I’m glad I came back for this reunion, Mrs. Campbell,” the analyst said, “but I’m even happier we got a chance to talk and catch up. I’ve told you what I’ve been doing, and how I’ve used the math you taught me. Now, what’s the most important thing you feel I still haven’t learned?”