Collaborative Health Resources Management Model.

In Chile, rural population faces long access times to specialized health services, as these tend to be concentrated in regional capitals. Against this background, the present study proposes the establishment of a Collaborative Health Resources Management Model, based on the practice of sharing hospital resources between medical centers, allowing daily transfers of doctors and medical equipment within a hospital network. The objective is to meet local demand and increase rural accessibility to healthcare, in terms of reducing patient transfers between hospitals and access times. To compare the current and proposed scenarios, an Integer Optimization Model with a Network Structure is formulated. The case study is focused on urology specialty in Zona del Reloncaví, a rural area located in southern Chile, on which it is concluded that allowing the mobility of hospital resources, specifically doctors and equipment, is optimal, as the average number of patient transfers and the average access time are reduced by 95.6% and 83%, respectively. By applying this model, hospitals are able to stretch their limited capital budgets by jointly purchasing equipment, providing network-wide access to resources needed for expanding healthcare accessibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]