Healthcare Supply Chain Management Research Articles

An enhanced MADM with Lq* q-Rung orthopair multi-fuzzy soft set in healthcare supplier selection

The global healthcare systems have encountered unparalleled difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic, underscoring the crucial significance of effective management within healthcare supply chains. This research contributes to the field of healthcare supply chain management by presenting a robust MADM methodology called lattice ordered(Lq*) q-rung orthopair multi-fuzzy soft set(Lq* q-ROMFS-MADM) for supplier evaluation and ranking amidst the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Taking inspiration from multi-fuzzy soft set and q-rung orthopair fuzzy set, the present research article proposes a novel framework known as Lq* q-rung orthopair multi-fuzzy soft set (Lq* qROMFSS), which incorporates lattice ordering in q-rung orthopair multi-fuzzy soft set. The effectiveness of the proposed model is confirmed through successful experimentation on various important operations, including union, intersection, complement, restricted union and intersection. Moreover, the verification of De Morgan’s laws for Lq* qROMFSS is carried out specifically for these operations mentioned above. To highlight the significance of the proposed Lq* qROMFSS, a multi-attribute decision-making (MADM) problem is presented, showcasing its application in the domain of healthcare supply chain management. Furthermore, a comparative analysis is conducted to elucidate the advantages of this model in comparison to existing models.

Assessing the Impact of Healthcare 4.0 Technologies on Healthcare Supply Chain Management: A Multi-Criteria Evaluation Framework

Background: Healthcare 4.0 has transformed supply chain management in the healthcare sector, but there is a lack of comprehensive frameworks to evaluate the impact of Healthcare 4.0 technologies on sector operations, particularly in developing countries. Methods: This study introduces a multi-criteria framework that synergically combines the techno-economic implications of Healthcare 4.0 technologies to improve healthcare supply chain management. The proposed approach innovatively integrates fuzzy VIKOR and Entropy methods to handle data vagueness and uncertainty, using data collected from healthcare supply chain specialists in Lagos, Nigeria. Results: The developed framework identifies the most and least critical technical and economic parameters for Healthcare 4.0 implementation in healthcare supply chain management. It also determines the suitability of different Healthcare 4.0 technologies for supply chain management in the healthcare sector. Conclusions: The main innovation of this study lies in the development of a comprehensive and context-specific framework for evaluating Healthcare 4.0 technologies in healthcare supply chains. The framework offers a new perspective on technology evaluation and provides practical insights for decision-makers. The findings contribute to advancing knowledge and practice in this field, promoting the proper adoption of Healthcare 4.0 technologies in healthcare, particularly in developing countries.

Blockchain Use Cases in the Sports Industry: A Systematic Review

AbstractSince its inception, Blockchain Technology, the underlying technology of Bitcoin has gained a lot of popularity and interest in various industries, varying from the healthcare industry, Internet-of-Things, smart grid, and supply chain management. Sports is one industry where blockchain can have significant breakthroughs where it can reshape the way the sports industry works by providing reliable athlete data management, secure mechanisms for data sharing, reforming the event management practices, collectibles traceability, and many more, but so far its impact is overshadowed by the hype surrounding the use of fan tokens and Non-Fungible-Tokens (NFT) collectibles. This paper aims to provide a systematic review of the ongoing research on the application of blockchain in the sports industry. this work shows that many studies have proposed different use cases for the application of blockchain in the sports industry on and off the field and targeting different stakeholders. However, we inferred a lack of adequate prototype implementations to evaluate the effectiveness of these proposed use cases. We further highlighted the technical details of the implementation of these blockchain-based applications, their limitations, and challenges, and proposed some solutions to support the integration of blockchain in this domain. The findings of this work will be beneficial for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners in the sports industry.

Opportunities Presented by COVID-19 for Healthcare Green Supply Chain Management and Sustainability Performance: The Moderating Effect of Social Media Usage

This research explores the opportunities presented by COVID-19 for green supply chains' environmental practices and ecological sustainability performances in the healthcare sector. This study investigates the connections between uncertainty-fear of COVID-19, healthcare green supply chain management (GSCM), and the three pillars of a firm's sustainability performance (environmental, economic, and social). Moreover, this study examines the moderating role of social media usage (SMU) on the effect of uncertainty-fear of COVID-19 on healthcare-GSCM. When conducting the empirical part, this study uses the partial least squares structural equation modeling method based on a sample of 483 healthcare managers. The findings prove that the uncertainty-fear of COVID-19 has a beneficial impact on healthcare-GSCM. Besides, SMU moderates the relationship between uncertainty-fear of COVID-19 and healthcare-GSCM, indicating the importance of SMU in gathering information for the healthcare sector during COVID-19. Likewise, when interacting with healthcare firms' sustainability performances, healthcare-GSCM positively impacts environmental and social performances, though it has a negligible impact on economic performance. This study adds to the “social cognitive theory” by introducing the concept of uncertainty-fear of COVID-19. Furthermore, this research adds to the “resource-based view theory” and the “knowledge-based view theory” by exploring the SMU's role during the outbreak.

Healthcare cybersecurity and cybercrime supply chain risk management

Cybersecurity is paramount in today’s rapidly evolving healthcare industry, particularly as supply chain management and logistics undergo digital transformation. This study examines the substantial threat posed by cybercrime to patient safety, data security, and operational efficiency within healthcare logistics and supply chain management. These risks can significantly impact an organization’s reputation and financial stability, necessitating vigilant detection and mitigation efforts by healthcare companies. As the primary defence against online threats, cybersecurity plays a pivotal role in preventing data breaches, cyberattacks, and other malicious activities that could have devastating consequences for the healthcare sector. Its core objective is to ensure the availability, confidentiality, and integrity of data, systems, and resources within the realm of healthcare supply chain management and logistics. Patient data protection stands out as a critical aspect of cybersecurity in this context. Healthcare logistics and supply chain management systems frequently handle sensitive patient data, encompassing billing details and medical histories. The compromise of such data places patient trust and the organization’s regulatory compliance at risk, potentially leading to identity theft, fraudulent claims, and privacy breaches. Furthermore, safeguarding the security of medical equipment is of paramount importance. With the increasing connectivity of these devices through the Internet of Things (IoT), they become more vulnerable to cyberattacks. Apart from jeopardizing patient safety, a breach in medical device security raises questions about the authenticity and reliability of healthcare products and services. Another pressing issue that healthcare institutions must address is unauthorised access to their systems. Cybercriminals persistently seek entry points into these systems to exploit vulnerabilities for illicit or profitable purposes. Robust cybersecurity measures are essential to thwarting unauthorised access and ensuring that only authorised individuals can access and modify sensitive medical data. Maintaining the accuracy of patient records is crucial for efficient supply chain management and healthcare logistics. Cyberattacks that manipulate or corrupt patient records can lead to medical errors, endangering patient safety. Consequently, cybersecurity measures must include safeguards to preserve the integrity and accuracy of these records. Beyond these immediate concerns, cybersecurity is instrumental in preventing disruptions to healthcare operations and services. Downtime resulting from cyberattacks can be catastrophic, impeding patient care and undermining the overall effectiveness of supply chain management and healthcare logistics. Cybersecurity safeguards continuous healthcare services by guaranteeing the security and accessibility of data and systems. Furthermore, cybersecurity plays a pivotal role in protecting the integrity, trust, and reputation of healthcare organizations. A cyberattack or data breach can tarnish an organization’s reputation and erode patient confidence. Such damage can have enduring repercussions, affecting an organization’s ability to attract clients, partners, and investors.

An integrated G-MACONT approach for healthcare supplier selection

PurposeSupplier selection along with continuous evaluation of their performance is a crucial activity in healthcare supply chain management for effective utilization of scarce resources while providing quality service at an affordable price, and minimizing chances of stock-out, avoiding serious consequences on the illness or fatality of the patients. Presence of both qualitative and quantitative evaluation criteria, set of potential suppliers and participation of different stakeholders with varying interest make healthcare supplier selection a challenging task which can be effectively solved using any of the multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) methods.Design/methodology/approachTo deal with various qualitative criteria, like cost, quality, delivery performance, reliability, responsiveness and flexibility, this paper proposes integration of grey system theory with a newly developed MCDM tool, i.e. mixed aggregation by comprehensive normalization technique (MACONT) to identify the best performing supplier for pharmaceutical items in a healthcare unit from a pool of six competing alternatives based on the opinions of three healthcare professionals.FindingsWhile assessing importance of the six evaluation criteria and performance of the alternative healthcare suppliers against those criteria using grey numbers, and exploring use of three normalization procedures and two aggregation operations of MACONT method, this integrated approach singles out S5 as the most compromised healthcare supplier for the considered problem. A sensitivity analysis of its ranking performance against varying values of both balance parameters and preference parameters also validates its solution accuracy and robustness.Originality/valueThis integrated approach can thus efficiently solve healthcare supplier selection problems based on qualitative evaluation criteria in uncertain group decision making environment. It can also be deployed to deal with other decision making problems in the healthcare sector, like supplier selection for healthcare devices, performance evaluation of healthcare units, ranking of physicians etc.

Intelligent selection of healthcare supply chain mode - an applied research based on artificial intelligence.

Due to the inefficiency and high cost of the current healthcare supply chain mode, in order to adapt to the great changes in the global economy and public health, it is urgent to choose an effective mode for sustainable development of healthcare supply chain. The aim of this paper is to use artificial intelligence systems to make intelligent decisions for healthcare supply chain mode selection. Firstly, according to the economic benefits, social benefits and environmental benefits of healthcare supply chain, this paper identifies different healthcare supply chain modes in combination with artificial intelligence technology. Secondly, this paper presents the intelligent choice optimization method of healthcare supply chain mode based on deep reinforcement learning algorithm. Finally, the effect of artificial intelligence in healthcare supply chain mode selection is verified by simulation experiment. The experimental results show that healthcare supply chain mode selected by artificial intelligence is basically consistent with the target mode, while healthcare supply chain mode selected by the basic selection method, BP neural network method and big data method is different from the target mode, which indicates that AI has more advantages in the selection of medical supply chain mode. Therefore, we recommend the application of artificial intelligence to healthcare supply chain management. This study not only makes up for the ineffective problems of existing methods, but also makes up for the gaps in the application of AI technology in the field of healthcare supply chain. The scientific value of this paper is that the proposed framework and the artificial intelligence algorithm enrich the relevant theories of healthcare supply chain research and provide methodological guidance for intelligent decision-making of healthcare supply chain. At the same time, for medical enterprises, this research provides a new practical guideline for the application of artificial intelligence in the sustainable development and modern management of healthcare supply chain.

A literature survey on healthcare supply chain management

Supply Chain Management (SCM) is a practice that has rapidly spread across industries. SCM may boost output while simultaneously satisfying customers. Despite SCM's recognition as a key factor in enhancing healthcare efficiency, widespread adoption remains in its infancy. Hospitals, a crucial element of the healthcare supply chain (HSC), have failed to fulfill the primary goals of lowering costs and providing high-quality treatment due to their inadequate knowledge of supply chain management (SCM). This research was conducted to fill in the blanks in the current HSC literature. Achieving the healthcare supply chain's goal of reducing costs will be greatly aided by the thorough literature study completed for this report. This review of healthcare supply chain management can quantify the benefits of supply chain initiatives and identify opportunities for improvement. Healthcare institutions can make informed decisions on optimizing their supply chains by understanding customer and supplier needs. This includes making strategic decisions on how to improve inventory management, streamline processes and reduce costs. The focus of this study is on the relationship between supply chain practices, the efficiency of supply chain performance, and the financial outcomes for healthcare organizations. By highlighting certain key research issues that are shared by supply chain management and healthcare management, this article contributes to the literature in both areas.

Examining the influence of industry 4.0 in healthcare supply chain performance: Moderating role of environmental dynamism

Healthcare supply chain management (HCSCM) is a network of different systems, tools, and processes. This system works in a seamless manner to ensure healthcare related materials such as medicines, hospital supplies, and so on. These materials are manufactured in the firms, distributed through agents, and eventually reach patients on time. During COVID-19, HCSCM was severely impacted in many countries. Many patients had to face severe difficulties during the pandemic. But post pandemic and after the adoption of several modern technologies like Industry 4.0, the performance of HCSCM was more reliable. Not many studies are available which have examined the influence of Industry 4.0 in HCSCM during such a crisis. In such context, the study aims at examining the influence of Industry 4.0 in HCSCM with moderating role of environmental dynamism. A conceptual model is proposed with the support of theories and literature. This was later validated by PLS-SEM approach considering 312 respondents from people of HCSCM system. The study ascertained that Industry 4.0 has greatly improved the performance of HCSCM system after COVID-19 crisis. In addition, this study highlighted that environmental dynamism has a significant moderating role on the linkage between adoption of industry 4.0 technology with HCSCM.

Optimizing Hospital Services: Implementing Healthcare Supply Chain Management through MERN Stack Web Application

This paper offers a new approach to hospital service optimization that seamlessly incorporates concepts from healthcare supply chain management. Using the advantages of MERN stack technology, we are developing a dynamic web service that connects hospitals in real time and expedites patient transfers. By addressing the pressing need for efficient supply chain management in the healthcare sector and by offering features like virtual consultations and organ transplant search capabilities, this system enhances patient care and accessibility. By putting this into practice, we intend to improve and elevate the standard for hospital treatment. This paper offers a new approach to hospital service optimization that seamlessly incorporates concepts from healthcare supply chain management. Keywords- Supply Chain Management, Healthcare Service Delivery, MERN stack, Real-time data processing, Patient Transfers, Predictive Analytics, Patient-Centric Care, Efficiency, Seamless Coordination, Fast Connectivity

A Review on the Healthcare Supply Chain Management in Transforming Hospital Services

The aim of this paper is to present a novel idea to revolutionize hospital services by integrating healthcare supply chain management principles. By using a web application which enables hospitals to establish a real-time connection and streamline patient transfers. Many sectors focus on supply chain management optimization and qualifications to construct a better network of suppliers for their end consumers. Especially in healthcare sector, not only for pharmaceutical products but also for hospital materials, supply chain management gets importance for service quality and patient satisfaction. Thus, there are many studies about supply chain management in healthcare to emphasize its importance. In this study it is aim to put forward more review of existing solution on healthcare management system and patient transfer. Keywords- Supply Chain Management, Healthcare Service Delivery, MERN stack web application, Real-time data processing, Patient Transfers, Predictive Analytics, Patient-Centric Care, Efficiency, Seamless Coordination, Fast Connectivity

Strategizing the online healthcare supply chain management in rural areas: A study of critical success factors

AbstractOnline healthcare supply chain management (OHCSCM) in rural areas is a matter of concern and is susceptible to policy changes, especially after the alarms raised by the COVID‐19 pandemic. This study aims to develop an approach towards examining the state and building a framework for examining the OHCSCM in rural areas. The study develops a framework by integrating various theories and methodologies like stakeholders' theory, critical success factor (CSF) theory, triple bottom line theory, fuzzy set theory, evidential reasoning approach, and scenario analysis for identifying the dynamism among the CSFs. The developed framework helps prioritize the CSFs based on environmental, economic, and social perspectives. Further, the model helps create scenarios for decision‐makers to improve the understanding of the CSFs influencing OHCSCM and achieve sustainability. The study reveals that infrastructure development, security and privacy of data, and use of predictive tools are the top factors that need immediate attention. By recognizing the interdependencies and interactions between these factors, managers can develop a more comprehensive and integrated approach to OHCSCM in rural areas. This understanding enables them to identify potential bottlenecks, streamline processes, and optimize resource allocation, ultimately saving valuable time and resources for achieving sustainability in the online healthcare supply chain in rural areas.

Overview of Cyclic Bottleneck Problem

Abstract: In this paper, we are going to overview a newvariant of the classical assignment problem referred to as the cyclic bottleneck assignment problem (CBAP). This problem can arise in the healthcare industry or supply chain management. The problem can arise in surgical room scheduling and can be described as follows. Each of m successive time units can be allocated to any of the m surgeonsavailable. The number of patients to be scheduled for surgery on a given unit and the length of stay of the patient in the recovery unit are dependent on the type of surgery. The problem is to assign one surgeon to each OR time so as to minimize the maximum number of patients that will be expected to occupy the recovery unit in the long run. In this paper we have compared various ways through which the CBAP has been solved , that is Cohort Intelligence[4] , Tabu Search[2] and Iterated Local Search

Effective use of artificial intelligence in healthcare supply chain resilience using fuzzy decision-making model

AbstractAI technologies are absolutely changing the rules of the game all around the world. However, the diffusion rate of AI is widely ranging across countries. This study aims to fulfill a research gap regarding multidimensional comprehensive studies which could provide academic information to the policy makers, technology producers, adopters of technology and the workforce. Friction against the use of new technologies has been existing since the beginning of industrial revolution. This study examines the possible factors behind the friction in AI adoption process. The subject of the course in this study is the supply chain resilience which is a keystone in healthcare sector especially after the recent pandemics. Studies promise the efficiency improvements and cost reductions in healthcare when AI technologies are implemented in supply chain management of the industry. This paper proposes a fuzzy Aczel–Alsina-based decision-making model to analyze the factors that enhance the diffusion of AI technologies in healthcare supply chain management. The model is tested for the case of Turkish healthcare industry. Fuzzy decision-making model is used to solve the complexities in unveiling success factors in the implementation and diffusion phases. Results show that among many other factors tested, technology intensity, trialability and government support and policies are the most important AI success factors. The results are discussed to reveal potential policy recommendations.

Analytics in healthcare supply chain management in the new normal era: a review and future research agenda

PurposeThe relevance of analytics to the healthcare supply chain is increasing with emerging trends and technologies. This study examines how analytics are used in the healthcare supply chain in the “new normal” environment.Design/methodology/approachA systematic literature review was conducted by extracting research articles related to analytics in the healthcare supply chain from Scopus. The author used a hybrid review approach that combines bibliometric analysis with a theories, contexts, characteristics, and methodology (TCCM) framework-based review to identify various themes of analytics in the healthcare supply chain.FindingsThe hybrid review strategy yielded results that focus on prevalent theories, contexts, characteristics, and methodologies in the field of healthcare supply chain analytics. Future research should explore the resulting antecedents, decision-making processes and outcomes (ADO) framework, which integrates technological, economic, and societal concerns and outcomes. Future research agendas could also seek to apply theoretical perspectives in the field of analytics in the healthcare supply chain.Originality/valueThe result of a review of selected studies adds to the current body of work and contributes to the growth of research in the field of analytics in the healthcare supply chain. It also provides new directions to healthcare supply chain managers and academic scholars.

A literature survey on healthcare supply chain management

Supply Chain Management (SCM) is a practice that has rapidly spread across industries. SCM may boost output while simultaneously satisfying customers. Despite SCM's recognition as a key factor in enhancing healthcare efficiency, widespread adoption remains in its infancy. Hospitals, a crucial element of the healthcare supply chain (HSC), have failed to fulfill the primary goals of lowering costs and providing high-quality treatment due to their inadequate knowledge of supply chain management (SCM). This research was conducted to fill in the blanks in the current HSC literature. Achieving the healthcare supply chain's goal of reducing costs will be greatly aided by the thorough literature study completed for this report. This review of healthcare supply chain management can quantify the benefits of supply chain initiatives and identify opportunities for improvement. Healthcare institutions can make informed decisions on optimizing their supply chains by understanding customer and supplier needs. This includes making strategic decisions on how to improve inventory management, streamline processes and reduce costs. The focus of this study is on the relationship between supply chain practices, the efficiency of supply chain performance, and the financial outcomes for healthcare organizations. By highlighting certain key research issues that are shared by supply chain management and healthcare management, this article contributes to the literature in both areas.

Modelling challenges of blockchain technology enabled healthcare sustainable supply chain management: a modified-total interpretive structural modelling approach

Modelling challenges of blockchain technology enabled healthcare sustainable supply chain management: a modified-total interpretive structural modelling approach

Technology Adoption and Healthcare Supply Chain Performance in Ghana: The Role of User Attitude

The study investigates how integrating technology into the healthcare Supply Chain affects operational performance. Using a sample of 212 healthcare facilities in the Accra Metropolitan Area, the study observed that user perceived usefulness and ease-of-use of healthcare supply chain management systems have positive impact on performance. It was also noticed that attitudes of the users of the healthcare supply chain management system do not mediate the linkage between perceived usefulness and healthcare supply chain performance but rather mediate the relationship between perceived ease-of-use and healthcare supply chain performance. As indicated in the United Nations Development Goals 3, the study recommends that structures should be put in place to ensure the use of technology and other related infrastructures, and commitment from both the public and private sectors to ensure the attainment of health and wellbeing for all Ghanaians by the year 2030.

E-Supply Chain Management Practices and Operational Performance of Hospitals of Kiambu County in Kenya

Health care supply chain management is vital to ensure good service to patients in a cost-optimized manner. In Kenya inadequacies and inefficiencies such: chronic stock outs of medicine, pilferage of medicine in public hospitals, expired stocks, late deliveries, lengthy periods during treatment; plague the Health Care supply chain system. This study examined the effect of E-supply chain practices on operational efficiency of hospitals in the County of Kiambu in Kenya, in a survey of 39 hospitals. The study revealed that adoption of the hospital management information system; Electronic procurement; and E-logistics practices; significantly and positively affects operational performance. The study observes that most public hospitals have not adopted E-supply chain practices; and avers this could explain the challenges facing public hospitals such as long queues, pilferage and long queues in public hospitals. The study recommends adoption of E-supply chain Practices; and invites researchers to examine the shallow adoption of E-supply chain practices in Public Hospitals.

Big data analytics capability in healthcare operations and supply chain management: the role of green process innovation.

Green approaches remain little disseminated in the healthcare sector despite growing interest in recent years from practitioners and researchers. Big Data Analytics Capability (BDAC) can play a critical role in the integration of environmental concerns into operations and supply chain management (OSCM) and further strengthen the environmental performance of healthcare facilities. According to the literature, the integration of the environment into operations process remains insufficient to achieve high levels of performance and requires efforts in green process innovation. However, this relationship between BDAC and green process innovation remains poorly justified empirically. To address this theoretical gap, we investigated the relationship between BDAC, environmental process integration, green process innovation in OSCM and environmental performance. The main contribution of this study is the valuable knowledge on how BDAC influences environmental process integration and green process innovation to enhance environmental performance. Moreover, the study highlights the mediating role of green process innovation on environmental performance, a finding that has not been mentioned in the extant literature. The paper provides valuable insight for managers and stakeholders that can assist them in supporting the application of BDAC in healthcare OSCM to create sustainable value.