Last evening we kicked off our Fall 2024 CHEPS Seminar Series, IOE 813: Providing Better Healthcare Through Systems Engineering. CHEPS Faculty Director Amy Cohn, PhD, led a group of students, faculty, physicians, and systems engineers—not only from the University of Michigan, but also from Clemson University, the University of North Carolina, and Massachusetts General Hospital—in a discussion of emergency department (ED) overcrowding and delays.
After establishing some background about why people visit the ED and what happens once they’re there, the class pivoted to a brainstorming session. Cohn opened the floor, encouraging creative, out-of-box conversations: “Some of the craziest ideas are the ones that are going to trigger something else.”
The discussion encompassed a variety of challenges and ideas, including resource constraints and the obstacles of nonstationary demand. A notable insight was the importance of seeing patients as people, not just cases.
“We are not disease or injuries, we are people,” Cohn emphasized.
The session highlighted the need for interdisciplinary collaboration and fresh approaches to improve ED operations.
We continue next week with a session on the teenage mental health crisis featuring Andrew M. Fine, MD, MP, Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.
— Written by Gabe Ferriero, CHEPS Student