title: Operations research diffusion in health care management.
abstract: The discipline of operations research (OR) has historically best served those industries that have goals that can be expressed and measured in absolute and quantitative terms. Comparatively, hospitals have had somewhat limited penetration and success with OR, if one uses published articles and case studies as the gauge. This research sought to empirically explore the penetration and success rates of OR in managerial decision-making processes within the hospital sector. A questionnaire was developed and administered to a nationwide sample of senior executives in hospitals throughout the United States, to measure actual usage and success rates of OR methods, understand the unique barriers to their adoption, and identify opportunities for OR to make greater headway. Findings establish that operations research has only a moderate penetration primarily in the more contemporary methods, and that half of hospitals surveyed rely on OR-type groups, albeit with different names. Finally, the research suggests that the decision process generally emphasizes collaboration over analytical decision-making, which might be a moderating factor for OR usage. Implications derived include the need for greater OR contributions in both financial and strategic decision-making.
authors.affiliation: Fleming Center for Healthcare Management, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, USA. James.R.Langabeer@uth.tmc.edu
authors.forename: James R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Langabeer
authors.forename: Dave J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Worthington
mesh_terms: D003659:Decision Making, Organizational; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D009874:Operations Research; D014481:United States