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Managing a multi-panel clinic with heterogeneous patients

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  • Hao-Wei Chen

    (John B. and Lillian E. Neff College of Business and Innovation, University of Toledo)

Abstract

Primary care providers (PCPs) are considered the first-line defenders in preventive care. Patients seeking service from the same PCP constitute that physician’s panel, which determines the overall supply and demand of the physician. The process of allocating patients to physician panels is called panel design. This study quantifies patient overflow and builds a mathematical model to evaluate the effect of two implementable panel assignments. In specialized panel assignment, patients are assigned based on their medical needs or visit frequency. In equal panel assignment, patients are distributed uniformly to maintain a similar composition across panels. We utilize majorization theory and numerical examples to evaluate the performance of the two designs. The results show that specialized panel assignment outperforms when (1) patient demands and physician capacity are relatively balanced or (2) patients who require frequent visits incur a higher shortage penalty. In a simulation model with actual patient arrival patterns, we also illustrate the robustness of the results and demonstrate the effect of switching panel policy when the patient pool changes over time.

Suggested Citation

  • Hao-Wei Chen, 2023. "Managing a multi-panel clinic with heterogeneous patients," Health Care Management Science, Springer, vol. 26(4), pages 673-691, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:hcarem:v:26:y:2023:i:4:d:10.1007_s10729-023-09658-z
    DOI: 10.1007/s10729-023-09658-z
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Hessam Bavafa & Sergei Savin & Christian Terwiesch, 2021. "Customizing Primary Care Delivery Using E‐Visits," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 30(11), pages 4306-4327, November.
    2. Hari Balasubramanian & Ana Muriel & Asli Ozen & Liang Wang & Xiaoling Gao & Jan Hippchen, 2013. "Capacity Allocation and Flexibility in Primary Care," International Series in Operations Research & Management Science, in: Brian T. Denton (ed.), Handbook of Healthcare Operations Management, edition 127, chapter 0, pages 205-228, Springer.
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    4. Christos Zacharias & Mor Armony, 2017. "Joint Panel Sizing and Appointment Scheduling in Outpatient Care," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 63(11), pages 3978-3997, November.
    5. Hessam Bavafa & Sergei Savin & Christian Terwiesch, 2019. "Managing Patient Panels with Non‐Physician Providers," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 28(6), pages 1577-1593, June.
    6. Nan Liu & Serhan Ziya, 2014. "Panel Size and Overbooking Decisions for Appointment-Based Services under Patient No-Shows," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 23(12), pages 2209-2223, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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