Search

This paper details models that determine the efficient allocation of resources on a medical assessment unit (MAU) of a general hospital belonging to the National Health Service (NHS) UK. The MAU was established to improve the quality of care given to acute medical patients on admission, and also provide the organizational means of rapid assessment and investigation in order to avoid unnecessary admissions. To analyse the performance of the MAU, doctors, nurses and beds are considered as the three main resources. Then a model is developed using the goal programming approach in multiobjective decision making and solved to deal with MAU performance. The developed model is solved under three different sets of patient admissions with the same resource levels using past data from the MAU. The results of the model are used to analyse the needed resource levels. Conclusions as to the appropriate staffing levels and functions of the MAU are drawn. Keywords: health care; goal programming; multi-objective decision making

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2005.10.022 Byline: M.A. Yaghoobi (a), M. Tamiz (b) Keywords: Fuzzy goal programming; Goal programming; Fuzzy programming; MINMAX approach Abstract: Narasimhan incorporated fuzzy set theory within goal programming formulation in 1980. Since then numerous research has been carried out in this field. One of the well-known models for solving fuzzy goal programming problems was proposed by Hannan in 1981. In this paper the conventional MINMAX approach in goal programming is applied to solve fuzzy goal programming problems. It is proved that the proposed model is an extension to Hannan model that deals with unbalanced triangular linear membership functions. In addition, it is shown that the new model is equivalent to a model proposed in 1991 by Yang et al. Moreover, a weighted model of the new approach is introduced and is compared with Kim and Whang's model presented in 1998. A numerical example is given to demonstrate the validity and strengths of the new models. Author Affiliation: (a) Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Sciences, University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran (b) Department of Mathematics, University of Portsmouth, Buckingham Building, Lion Terrace, Portsmouth, PO1 3HE, UK

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2005.06.045 Byline: M.A. Yaghoobi (a), M. Tamiz (b) Keywords: Fuzzy goal programming; Goal programming; Fuzzy programming Abstract: Kim and Whang use a tolerance approach for solving fuzzy goal programming problems with unbalanced membership functions [J.S. Kim, K. Whang, A tolerance approach to the fuzzy goal programming problems with unbalanced triangular membership function, European Journal of Operational Research 107 (1998) 614-624]. In this note it is shown that some results in that article are incorrect. The necessary corrections are proposed. Author Affiliation: (a) Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Sciences, University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran (b) Department of Mathematics, University of Portsmouth, Buchingham Building, Lion Terrace, Portsmouth PO1 3HE, UK Article History: Received 17 May 2005; Accepted 8 June 2005