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A Simulation Model to Compare Strategies for the Reduction of Health-Care--Associated Infections

Author

Listed:
  • Reidar Hagtvedt

    (University of Alberta School of Business, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R6, Canada)

  • Paul Griffin

    (School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332)

  • Pınar Keskinocak

    (School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332)

  • Rebecca Roberts

    (Department of Emergency Medicine, Cook County Hospital, Chicago, Illinois 60612)

Abstract

Cook County Hospital, like many hospitals in the United States and worldwide, is pursuing a strategy to combat health-care--associated infections (HAIs). In the United States, approximately two million people are infected each year and over 100,000 die. In this paper, an interdisciplinary team of researchers from Georgia Tech and Cook County Hospital, with backgrounds in engineering, economics, and medicine, analyze the flow of pathogens. We combine infection rates and cost data to build a discrete-event simulation model to capture the complex relationships between hand hygiene, isolation, demand, and costs. We find that both hand hygiene and isolation policies have a significant impact on rates of infection, and that a complex interplay between factors exists. This suggests that a systems-level approach to infection-control procedures will be required to contain health-care--associated infections.

Suggested Citation

  • Reidar Hagtvedt & Paul Griffin & Pınar Keskinocak & Rebecca Roberts, 2009. "A Simulation Model to Compare Strategies for the Reduction of Health-Care--Associated Infections," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 39(3), pages 256-270, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:orinte:v:39:y:2009:i:3:p:256-270
    DOI: 10.1287/inte.1090.0435
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    Cited by:

    1. Fournier, Derrick L. & Zaric, Gregory S., 2013. "Simulating neonatal intensive care capacity in British Columbia," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 47(2), pages 131-141.
    2. David Scheinker & Margaret L. Brandeau, 2020. "Implementing Analytics Projects in a Hospital: Successes, Failures, and Opportunities," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 50(3), pages 176-189, May.
    3. Beth Ann Fiedler & Thomas T. H. Wan & Stephen S. Sivo & Reid M. Oetjen & Roger A. Bowles, 2016. "Modeling the Biomedical Engineering Technicians’ Contribution to Hospital Quality with Donabedian’s Triad," Quarterly Journal of Business Studies, Research Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 2(2), pages 104-116.
    4. Baril, Chantal & Gascon, Viviane & Miller, Jonathan & Côté, Nadine, 2016. "Use of a discrete-event simulation in a Kaizen event: A case study in healthcare," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 249(1), pages 327-339.
    5. Robinson, Stewart & Radnor, Zoe J. & Burgess, Nicola & Worthington, Claire, 2012. "SimLean: Utilising simulation in the implementation of lean in healthcare," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 219(1), pages 188-197.

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