title: Mathematical programming for the efficient allocation of health care resources.
abstract: Previous discussions of methods for the efficient allocation of health care resources subject to a budget constraint have relied on unnecessarily restrictive assumptions. This paper makes use of established optimization techniques to demonstrate that a general mathematical programming framework can accommodate much more complex information regarding returns to scale, partial and complete indivisibility and program interdependence. Methods are also presented for incorporating ethical constraints into the resource allocation process, including explicit identification of the cost of equity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Policy and Management, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA. stinnett@fas.harvard.edu
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Stinnett
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Paltiel
mesh_terms: D002017:Budgets; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D003657:Decision Making; D015276:Health Care Rationing / Q000191:economics*; D017059:Models, Econometric; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000191:economics; D012935:Social Justice; D014481:United States