Tool For Resource Allocation Research Articles

Public involvement in health care priority setting: an economic perspective.

BACKGROUND: Public involvement in health care decision making and priority setting in the UK is being promoted by recent policy initiatives. In 1993, the British Medical Association called for public consultation where rationing of services was to be undertaken. The approach to priority setting advocated by many health economists is the maximization of quality adjusted life years (QALYs). Typically, for a particular health care programme, the QALY calculation takes account of four features: (1) the number of patients receiving the programme, (2) the survival gain, (3) the gain in quality of life and, (4) the probability of treatment success. Only one feature, that relating to quality of life, is based upon public preferences. If the QALY is to be used as a tool for health care resource allocation at a societal level then it should incorporate broader societal preferences. METHODS: This study used an interview-based survey of 91 members of the general public to explore whether the traditional QALY maximization model is a good predictor of public responses to health care priority setting choices. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Many respondents did not choose consistently in line with a QALY maximization objective and were most influenced by quality of life concerns. There was little support for health care programmes that provided a prognostic improvement but left patients in relatively poor states of health. The level of respondent engagement in the survey exercise was not sensitive to the provision of supporting clinical information.

Pictorial Representation of Communication Satellite Resource Allocation Using STK

ABSTRACTOver the past decade the need for communication satellites has grown dramatically, with the main consumer no longer being strictly the government cost‐effectiveness has become a main issue. Designing a communication satellite that will be cost effective, as well as, efficient for a given user community is often a daunting task; it requires analyzing many different hardware configurations to determine which will most effectively service the user community. Using a database of typical users and analyzing hardware trade‐offs is often times a preferred method of solving these types of analytical problems. More times than not this labor intensive analysis is done by hand, but to get reliable, easily reproducible results a “tool” can be developed to automate the analysis.In looking at an analytical problem as extensive as communication satellite resource allocation, simple numerical data does not always provide for the best answer. This paper describes our experience using Satellite Tool Kit (STK) a COTS product to graphically display the results of our satellite resource allocation tool. This tool is currently being used to analyze hardware trade offs for the design of a communication satellite constellation.

Using Social Indicators to Predict Addiction

Because of cost and other constraints, states often find it difficult to estimate need for treatment of alcohol-related problems from routine surveys. The social undesirability of illegal drug use makes the assessment of need for treatment of their use even more difficult. This paper uses independently obtained treatment need estimates to provide parameters for short-term prediction. We obtained the parameters by regressing the proportions of people addicted to alcohol (or drugs) in counties on social-indicator-based relative treatment need estimates for alcohol (or drugs). In addition to integrating estimates coming from independent sources, our approach presents an important tool for planning and resource allocation.

Fuzzy allocation of manufacturing resources

Fuzzy logic is investigated as a resource allocation tool in a manufacturing environment. Comparison is drawn between random, largest queue, and fuzzy allocation techniques using a discrete event simulation model as a test platform. Results indicate a fuzzy controller to be a feasible alternative.

A Simulation Model for the Analysis and Management of An Emergency Service System

Emergency service systems provide mobile units (crews and/or equipment) to respond to requests for assistance and/or service in emergency situations that occur at any time and any place throughout a specified region such as a metropolitan district or a rural area. This paper presents a simulation model that serves as a tool for resource allocation and management of an emergency service system. The model was tested to study, evaluate, and optimize the allocation of police patrol vehicles to non-homogeneous zones with different demand patterns in the City of Richmond, Virginia. © 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd

Impact of incomplete coverage of neonatal dried blood spot screening on estimating HIV-1 seroprevalence.

The aim of this study was to determine the extent to which selective under-coverage of births to mothers more likely to be at risk of HIV-1 infection will result in a significant under-estimation of the true neonatal seroprevalence. Census data, local birth statistics, maternity data and data from the prevalence monitoring programme were used to produce a model to predict the effects of under-coverage in the uptake of neonatal metabolic screening which has been observed in babies with a mother of ethnic group black African. The adjustment factor which allows for under-coverage is the relative inclusion ratio (RIR); the probability that samples from a group at different risk of HIV infection were included in the survey divided by the probability of inclusion for samples from all other babies. The RIR was found to be close to unity (0.97), indicating a minimal bias. Under usual conditions only if the relative inclusion ratio (RIR) declined to values of 0.87 or below would there be a substantial bias. Despite some selective under representation, the results obtained from the Unlinked Anonymous HIV Monitoring Programme Dried Blood Spot Survey would seem to identify levels of prevalence in the population of child-bearing women with a good degree of accuracy and remains a useful tool for resource allocation, planning of services, provision of care and counselling.

The ARPA-Rome Knowledge-Based Planning and Scheduling Initiative

In 1990, ARPA and the US Air Force Rome Laboratory formed the Knowledge-Based Planning and Scheduling Initiative. Better known as the ARPA/Rome Planning Initiative or ARPI, the program was formed to develop the next generation of generic AI tools for planning, scheduling, and resource allocation, as well as to significantly improve crisis management planning. At ARPI's core is a vision of a distributed network of graphics-based planning cells, sharing a common reasoning infrastructure that enables continuous concurrent planning. It takes a distributed, collaborative approach to crisis management, and applies total quality management techniques to ensure measurable progress and remote cooperation among participants.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

A Model For Environmental Costs For Corporations (MEC)

Managing environmental issues and setting priorities requires an environmental costing procedure. The present study developed a "Model for Environmental Costs" (MEC) using five cost categories. The testing of the model in a furniture manufacturing plant showed that 35.2% of the total environmental costs were in effect mitigating correction costs, while 20.5% were prevention costs. Total environmental costs were 2.13% of the added value. The total amount of waste material amounted to 28% of the total material input. The MEC can be used as an internal management tool for priority setting and resource allocation, or for comparative analysis of industrial categories.

A Model for Environmental Costs for Corporations (Mec)

Managing environmental issues and setting priorities requires an environmental costing procedure. The present study developed a "Model for Environmental Costs" (MEC) using five cost categories. The testing of the model in a furniture manufacturing plant showed that 35.2% of the total environmental costs were in effect mitigating correction costs, while 20.5% were prevention costs. Total environmental costs were 2.13% of the added value. The total amount of waste material amounted to 28% of the total material input. The MEC can be used as an internal management tool for priority setting and resource allocation, or for comparative analysis of industrial categories.

Linking resource use to consumer level of need: Field test of the level of need-care assessment (LONCA) method.

A team of service system planners in King County, Washington, field-tested the feasibility of the LONCA (level of need-care assessment) method as a strategy to match resources to consumer level of need. LONCA links resources to need by first measuring the incidence and intensity of consumer needs in specific functioning domains. It then preliminarily specifies the type and intensity of services required to minimally but appropriately address specific consumer needs, calculates service costs, and identifies clusters of consumers with similar need and cost profiles. The field test supported the feasibility of performing LONCA tasks. The resulting scheme for clustering consumers appeared to have face validity and was modestly associated with at least 3 independent indicators of resource need: program status, residential status, and hospitalizations. Despite its limitations, the article supports further development of LONCA for use as a resource allocation tool for local service systems.

Linking resource use to consumer level of need: Field test of the level of need-care assessment (LONCA) method.

A team of service system planners in King County, Washington, field-tested the feasibility of the LONCA (level of need-care assessment) method as a strategy to match resources to consumer level of need. LONCA links resources to need by first measuring the incidence and intensity of consumer needs in specific functioning domains. It then preliminarily specifies the type and intensity of services required to minimally but appropriately address specific consumer needs, calculates service costs, and identifies clusters of consumers with similar need and cost profiles. The field test supported the feasibility of performing LONCA tasks. The resulting scheme for clustering consumers appeared to have face validity and was modestly associated with at least 3 independent indicators of resource need: program status, residential status, and hospitalizations. Despite its limitations, the article supports further development of LONCA for use as a resource allocation tool for local service systems.

Triggering Organizational Change: Application of Importance‐Satisfaction Analysis

In this paper the authors have developed and presented a diagnostic and resource allocation tool in the tradition of action research and survey‐feedback methods. This highly pragmatic technique was used in an R &amp; D laboratory to identify where organizational resources and attention should be focused in the management of human resources. The framework can also help management avoid ineffective change activities in areas where the effort would have no significant effects.

Queueing network models for load balancing in distributed systems

In distributed systems, load balancing can improve efficiency by migrating jobs from heavily loaded to lightly loaded sites. In this paper we present a method for optimal load allocation in a static environment. A queueing network model is used to evaluate response time, and mathematical programming techniques are used to find the load allocation that minimizes average response time. The method is not proposed as a substitute for dynamic, heuristic load balance policies; rather, it is perceived as a useful tool for resource allocation and capacity planning in distributed systems and as a promising complement to dynamic policies in hybrid load balance strategies. The method can handle very general classes of problems, including distinct classes of jobs, multitasking within each job, and jobs with spawned tasks. Several examples illustrating these applications are reported.

Problem Segmentation

Market segmentation is a firmly established marketing concept and an important resource allocation tool. In consumer markets, benefit segmentation has become one of the most widely used bases. Buyer problems could be a useful basis for market segmentation in certain situations. The emphasis is placed on the application of problem analysis to issues of building perceived and actual quality and competitive advantages. The “problem analysis” approach is described and literature‐based support presented for adding problems to the list of segmentation bases. An example of problem analysis and its application to segmentation is provided. Problem segmentation is a response to the recognition in marketing literature that the consumer is basically a problem solver. A problem perspective provides a direct contribution to current managerial strategy needs concerned with product/service quality and the development of substantive competitive positions. It may often identify issues of greater relevance to consumer decision making than those provided by a benefit assessment.

Dynamics on the Boston Consulting Group's planning matrices

Strategies based on the growth share matrix as a resource allocation tool require that broad categories of businesses are either funded, milked, or divested depending on their strategic positioning on the portfolio chart. Dynamics on the chart are important and this article explores the implications of changing positions of the businesses concerned using the growth gain matrix. The little-used technique of frontier curves, which relates growth rate to cash usage, is elucidated. Because management cannot act in a vacuum and competitive action is inevitable, a checklist for competitive profiling is provided. Competitive dynamics on the growth share matrix are explored least the unwary fall into the trap of conventional strategic thinking.

Pareto analysis: Diagnosing investments in managerial ego

Managers frequently state that 80% of profits or sales are derived from 20% of the product range. Though lip service is paid, the concept often is not applied as a tool for resource allocation and discrimination between a portfolio of products or business units. This article explains how managers can use the technique of Pareto analysis to identify different strategic categories as a guide to the allocation of resources and management attention.

An empirical study of health planning in Latin America and Africa

This study analyzes the impact which underlying social and economic forces have on the objectives of health planning and the techniques employed in resource allocation decisions in the health sector. Data drawn from twenty-seven countries are used to analyze the interaction between social and economic forces, the health planning process and ultimate resource allocation decisions in the health sector. The first issue studied is the objective function of the health sector for countries in Latin America and Africa. Subsequent planning techniques employed, types of data gathered and the focus of analysis and, of course, political commitment to implementation are all ultimately predicated on the underlying objective functions. Next, a brief review of various methodologies used by health planners is presented and the way in which these methodologies have been used in Latin America and Africa is analyzed with particular reference to the influence of a country's general socio-economic mileau on (a) the objective function enunciated by health planners and (b) the types of methodologies employed as resource allocation tools. A case study of Tanzania's health planning process since the 1967 Arusha declaration is presented. The study analyzes Tanzania's changed health care priorities and the consistency of these with the country's general economic development thrust. The final section of the paper summarizes the empirical analyses and discusses the ways in which health planning may be a channel through which a more systematic process of decision making can be incorporated into general economic development in developing countries. The issue of political commitment to implementation of the outcomes of the health planning process is highlighted.

The Future of Operations Research in the Government

The crucial thrust of this report develops some ideas about how operations research and management science may increase their effective participation in high level governmental decision making. The opportunity confronting operations research to participate actively in charting the future of our society is one of the greatest opportunities offered to any field of science today. This report will consider the components of the gross national product as an aid in measuring the potential for using operations research as a resource allocation tool, will enumerate briefly on a few of the high level governmental operations research positions, and will consider the discipline in legislation and planning. Several recommendations conclude the report. Two main problems to be considered are the following: 1. What are these large scale issues to which OR can make a contribution? 2. From what organizational base can OR have the greatest impact—both on policy and its implementation?