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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1989

Operations research in schistosomiasis control.

The term "operations research" is used in several different senses but the simplest concept is one of any activity and associated evaluation which will lead us to a better understanding of how to do things in the most competent and effective way. Operations research should attempt to bring all the subsets of variables together within one framework embracing strictly technical matters, organizational and administrative aspects, population cooperation and behavioural constraints or complications, costs and resources required, cost-efficacy and the construction of a system for continued monitoring and subsequent remedial interventions, where necessary. The problems involved in operations research are outlined and the practical points of importance are emphasized. The principles of schistosomiasis control are listed, the use of population based chemotherapy is stressed, the constraints are tabulated and specific suggestions made for worth-while studies in the "operational research" context.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

[Operations research in group feeding programs: techniques for the identification and analysis of management problems].

The operations of the group feeding programs (PAG--"Programas de Alimentación a Grupos"--) can be viewed as a sequence of decisions and activities that according to their direction, order, relationship and dependency, will influence the quality and quantity of the service's delivery. While searching for the essential characteristics of a PAG: components, relationship, variables, pertinent parameters, restrictions, underlying criteria and objective functions, operations research can be useful for its analysis, the identification of its management problems, and to develop, evaluate and finally, implement solutions. Various operation research techniques are presented in this article, which are geared towards responding to those knowledge needs of the national technicians and program managers, in order to give a solid foundation to solutions for the management problems identified in a PAG. Failures of different quantitative models had been due, mainly, to the tendency to formulate models or investigate problems without users being prepared to implement the solutions. The techniques presented herein take into consideration the interaction between specialists and users.

Food Services↗
PubMed1978

Some operations research applications to problems of health care systems (a survey).

In this paper, a brief survey of operations research applications to problems of health care systems is made. It shows the possibilities which exist for improving the design and operations of hospitals and other health care systems through the use of operations research approaches. The different applications have been divided into groups, but it should be noted that there is a great deal of overlapping among them.

Blood Banks↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Family planning operations research in Africa: reviewing a decade of experience.

Between 1979 and 1990, Columbia University conducted 26 family planning operations research (OR) projects in 13 sub-Saharan African countries. Most of these projects were implemented in settings where family planning service delivery had not yet been initiated or was new and poorly developed. In keeping with program needs in the early stages of development, the majority of the OR projects were based on demonstration or diagnostic designs. Only four of the 23 projects were comparative or quasi-experimental in design. Projects demonstrated the growing demand for family planning, and the feasibility and acceptability of a range of service delivery models. Sixteen of the projects have been sustained or replicated by national or local governments and institutions following the initial OR phase, replication of two others is planned, and another four resulted in policy formulation or improvements in existing national programs. OR in Africa played an important role in generating political and medical support for contraceptive services, and served to improve project management. OR proved more useful in the implementation and strengthening of individual programs than in generating universal lessons regarding service delivery. In order to maximize OR's utility in Africa, simple research designs and methods should be adopted.

Africa↗
PubMed1991

Social, economic and operational research on tuberculosis: recent studies and some priority questions.

Social, economic and operational research has already contributed to the growing global awareness of the neglected burden of tuberculosis on individuals, families and communities. These studies have also illustrated that short-course chemotherapy for smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis is a highly cost-effective tool for combatting tuberculosis. In the present work, the author examines the costs and effectiveness of the national tuberculosis programmes in Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania. Chemotherapy for smear-positive tuberculosis is found to be among the most cost-effective health interventions known, costing 1-4 US dollars per year of life saved. In all situations, short-course chemotherapy is found to be more cost-effective than standard 12-month chemotherapy. General conclusions about the role of hospitalization are difficult to make; its cost-effectiveness depends on local patterns of compliance and the cost of hospitalization. Because more than three-quarters of the benefits of chemotherapy for smear-positive tuberculosis are due to transmission reduction, treating HIV sero-positives, smear-positives is probably cost-effective.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Operational research need in guineaworm eradication programme.

To achieve global guineaworm (GW) eradication in 1990s, it is of paramount importance for GW endemic countries to immediately identify and solve the existing deficiencies and inconsistencies in GW eradication programmes (GWEP). This is possible only through concurrent evaluation and operational research. The present communication highlights the simple operational research which could be undertaken by GWEP managers to improve programme efficiency at various levels of its implementation.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

The application of operational research (OR) procedures to maternal mortality from puerperal sepsis in a rural community.

An operation research (OR) procedure on maternal mortality from puerperal sepsis was carried out in Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State of Nigeria. The study involved ten focus groups discussion (FGD) in two districts of the Local Government Area. The findings were analysed from three broad perspectives, that is, consumers' views, providers' views and community decision takers' views. In general, the analysis revealed that the community knowledge of puerperal sepsis is poor. In addition, limited access and prohibitive cost of orthodox health care services prevented the community from full utilization of the few available health care centres in the community. The study also revealed that there is urgent need to introduce three key interventions for an improved maternity care in the community. These interventions are community health education, health institutions development and community participation in provision of ancillary services such as transportation.

Female↗
PubMed1991

Qualitative methods in operations research on contraceptive distribution systems: a case study from Nigeria.

This article discusses the application of qualitative methods in operations research on a family planning service delivery system. Market traders in Ibadan, Nigeria were trained to sell oral contraceptives, condoms, and spermicidal foaming tablets in a collaborative research project of the Fertility Research Unit of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, and the Center for Population and Family Health of Columbia University. Focus group discussion, participant observation, and semi-structured interviews were used to investigate the cultural acceptability of distribution of contraceptives in the market places and the motivations of participating traders. The strength of the market associations was a factor influencing acceptance of the project and the number of customers for the traders' other wares were found to positively influence the volume of sales of contraceptives. Traders were motivated by the status associated with participating in a program of a well-known health institution. Findings from qualitative research suggest areas for quantitative studies and vice versa in an interactive process.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed1978

The role of operations research and systems analysis in holding down the costs of hospitals and clinics.

In the past, medical care facilities have concentrated primarily on professional clinical evaluation. With the cost of treatment rising rapidly, it is becoming increasingly important to critically review and analyze our delivery systems so that scarce resources can be used optimally. In this paper the applications of operations research (O.R.) and systems analysis techniques that have been employed successfully in private industry are explored to find ways to improve clinical operations and hold costs down.

Costs and Cost Analysis↗
PubMed1978

Medical technology and cost containment: two applications of operations research.

The government proposes "common sense" regulations to help contain rising health costs due to the increasing use of high-technology procedures, such as computerized tomography scanning. Two illustrations are given showing that such ad hoc regulations may have the effect of increasing costs and are certainly far from the optimum obtained by known methods of operations research.

Computers↗
PubMed1990

[Health care planning strategies and the need for demographic and operational research].

Planning of health care is an indispensible prerequisite of social and economic development of every state. The European version of the WHO programme Health for All is suitable planning model. The programme is systematically conceived, it states general fundamental priorities and the sequence of the implementation of tasks to attain precisely defined goals. Its implementation calls for epidemiological, sociological and operational research in order to study the health status of the population, risk and protective factors and the function of the system of health services. A uniform overall national programme of health care should be elaborated and our nation-wide health programmes should form an integral part in it.

Health Planning↗