Participants: Amy Cohn, Ajaay Chandrasekara, Brooke Szymanski, Chhavi Chaudhry, Donald Richardson, Hassan Abbas, Jeremy Castaing, Jonathan Zhou, Jonathon McCormick, Madalina Jiga, Matthew Rouhana, Pamela Martinez Villarreal, Stephanie See, Alon Zadok Weizer, Carol McMahon, Carolina Typaldos, Corinne Hardecki, Diane Drago, Irene Turkewycz, Marian Grace Boxer
Project Contact: Amy Cohn, [email protected]
Project Synopsis: Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, and chemotherapy is one of the primary treatment method for many types of cancer. However, the process of receiving infusion treatments can be complicated and cause patients to wait for long periods of time. In collaboration with The University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center (UMCCC) we study the full process experienced by infusion patients, identify key bottlenecks within this process, and develop engineering-based techniques aimed at reducing patient delays and enhancing full-day patient experiences. Recent projects include the analysis of the UMCCC phlebotomy station, pharmacy, and infusion area.
Papers, Posters, & Presentations:
Presentations
- Simulation of a Phlebotomy Lab to Improve Full-Day Experiences of Patients at the UM Cancer Center, Center for Integrated Healthcare Delivery Systems (CIHDS), March 2015
- Scheduling and Patient Flow in an Outpatient Chemotherapy Infusion Center, INFORMS, November 2014
- Stochastic Optimization to Reduce Patient Wait Times in an Outpatient Infusion Center, INFORMS, November 2014
- Stochastic Optimization to Reduce Patient Wait Times in an Outpatient Infusion Center, International Federation of Operational Research Societies (IFORS) Conference, July 2014
- Scheduling and Patient Flow in an Outpatient Chemotherapy Infusion Center, Industrial and Systems Engineering Research Sessions (ISERC), May 2014
Posters
- Improving Patient Flow in an Outpatient Infusion Center, Healthcare Systems Process Improvement (HSPI) Conference, February 2015
- Stochastic Optimization to Reduce Patient Wait Times in an Outpatient Infusion Center, University of Michigan Engineering Graduate Symposium, November 2014
- Stochastic Optimization to Reduce Patient Wait Times in an Outpatient Infusion Center, Healthcare Engineering & Patient Safety Symposium, September 2014
- Computer Simulation and Mathematical Optimization to Reduce Patient Wait Times in an Outpatient Infusion Center, ASCO Quality Care Symposium, November 2013
Acknowledgements: We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of The Bonder Foundation, The Doctors Company Foundation, the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the U of M College of Engineering SURE Program. We also thank all prior Cancer Center staff and CHEPS students who have contributed to this project.