An Integrated Approach for Designing Healthcare Facilities with a Location-Inventory Model
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Abstract
Getting services at public hospitals in Thailand requires outpatients to visit doctors and receive medicines and medical supplies at the dispensary as the final step of the treatment process. This often leads to congestion issues in hospitals. Therefore, the workload should be distributed outside the hospital to alleviate congestion. Presently, outpatients of public hospitals can participate in the “Taking Medicine Nearby House” project to increase convenience and relieve congestion in the hospital. This study addresses the Location Inventory (LIP) problem, specifically focusing on “pharmacies,” by determining the optimal number and locations to meet patient needs. This approach aims to increase patients' accessibility. Additionally, the right inventory level for each pharmacy must be considered to reduce operating costs. Therefore, a mathematical model is developed to simultaneously solve the location and inventory problems using an exact method. The model is processed using the Lingo program to facilitate efficient problem-solving. This study benefits congestion mitigation in public hospitals and ensures greater patient access and proper pharmacy inventory management by the integrated solution. The results in actual implementation within the healthcare system will improve operational efficiency and raise the standard of patient care.
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