Research in Public Health for Efficient, Effective, and Equitable Outcomes

Abstract

Public health focuses on preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health in a population, and there are many ways in which operations research and management science (OR/MS) researchers can contribute to improved decision making in this area. In this tutorial, we discuss examples of work in several areas of public health, including access and equity, disease screening, chronic diseases, and infectious diseases. In each of these areas, we give a brief overview of challenging issues and related literature, give a specific example of a research topic, and point to potential future directions for research. We describe several trends that could impact future public health research including population ageing and an increased use of electronic records. The tutorial is intended to introduce OR/MS researchers to the many opportunities for having a positive impact on specific populations and society overall, through OR/MS research related to public health.

Targeting resources efficiently and justifiably by combining causal machine learning and theory

“…Non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and heart disease make up a significant portion of the burden of disease in the world (Ayer et al, 2014 ; Gakidou et al, 2017 ). The COVID-19 pandemic showed that they also induce severe complications when such communicable diseases strike (Guo et al, 2020 ; Khan et al, 2020 ).…”

Reflecting on prediction strategies for epidemics

“…Because of the complexity of the health care systems, 95 intervening to improve access requires system-specific considerations, including different constraints in supply and demand for treatment and prevention, for example, varying prevalence of at-risk or affected populations across communities, limited treatment or vaccine availability, preferences and behaviors depending on demographics, and limited participation of specialized health care providers in public insurance programs. Accounting for such constraints in access to prevention and treatment is critical to reducing the potential health disparities arising owing to the severe health outcomes in epidemics.…”

A Review of the Healthcare-Management (Modeling) Literature Published in Manufacturing & Service Operations Management

“…Screening of asymptomatic individuals (possibly followed with a diagnostic procedure, depending on screening results) can diagnose disease at earlier stages and increase the chances of treatment success (Ayer et al 2014). Although screening benefits a small percentage of the population who have the disease, it is costly, and the majority of the remaining population receives little or no direct benefit, and may even be exposed to physical or emotional harms.…”

“…To continue on the path of improving population health, we must strive to widen access (e.g., by improving availability of vaccines and reducing waiting times), improve efficiency and quality of care (e.g., by increasing quality-adjusted life years while minimizing costs), and promote equity (e.g., ensure that access and outcomes are comparable across different geographical areas, demographic groups, income levels, etc.) (Ayer et al 2014). Achieving these improvements is, to a large extent, an operational challenge; these improvements can only be achieved by identifying more efficient ways of organizing and delivering care (Green 2012).…”