Operations research as a decision-making tool in the health sector: A state of the art

Abstract

The contributions of Operations Research (OR) in the healthcare field have been extensively studied in the scientific literature since the 1960s, covering decision support tools with operational, tactical, and strategic approaches. The aim of this article is to analyze the historical development of the application of OR models in healthcare. The application trends for optimization, planning, and decision- making models are studied through a descriptive literature review and a bibliometric analysis of scientific papers published between 1952 and 2016. An upward trend in the usage of operational models is observed with the predominance of resource optimization approaches and strategic decision-making for public health.

Los aportes de la Investigación de Operaciones (IO) en el campo de la salud han sido ampliamente estudiados en la literatura científica desde la década de los 60, abarcando el soporte a la decisión en enfoques operacionales, tácticos y estratégicos. Se presenta un resumen del desarrollo histórico de la IO en el campo de la salud y se listan los principales modelos aplicados en los últimos años, identificando el principal enfoque utilizado, y el potencial aporte a la toma de decisiones en el campo de la salud.