ODM, TUMCS

InPlan-CARE network meeting at the TUM Campus Straubing Solving planning problems in hospitals

A well-functioning healthcare system is one of the key factors for the prosperity and well-being of a society. In this context, hospitals should be seen as an essential provider of healthcare services. The efficient provision of such services and the associated high quality of care require the necessary resources, such as beds and staff, to be available in the right place and at the right time. The aim of the DFG-funded scientific network InPlan-CARE is to develop a holistic view of integrated planning in the healthcare sector by specifically analysing current research in this area and linking it with a complexity analysis of the planning problems that actually exist in hospitals.

A group of people standing in front of a yellow helicopter on top of the Straubing hospital
Marius Wedler

The network participants inspect the air rescue station at the St. Elisabeth Hospital in Straubing during a guided tour by Prof. Dr Matthias Jacob (right, Chief Physician of the Clinic for Anaesthesiology, Operative Intensive Care Medicine and Pain Medicine).

Die Netzwerkteilnehmer als Gruppenfoto vor der Holzfassade der Uferstraße 53 des TUMCS
Jan Winter/TUM

A network meeting was recently held at the TUM Campus Straubing (TUMCS). The DFG-funded scientific network is coordinated by Prof Dr Christina Büsing (RWTH Aachen University), Dr Sebastian Rachuba (University of Twente), Dr Melanie Reuter-Oppermann (University of Twente) and Prof Dr Clemens Thielen (Technical University of Munich, Straubing Campus for Biotechnology and Sustainability). The other network members come from the University of Augsburg, Graz University of Technology, KIT, Belgium, Norway and the Netherlands, among others. In addition to the network members, Prof Sally Brailsford (University of Southampton) and Dr Annelies van der Ham (Rhythm/Maastricht University) were guest keynote speakers at the meeting at TUMCS.

Goals of InPlan-CARE

Typically, resource-related planning problems are solved individually for each resource without considering explicit links. This leads to sub-optimal decisions and unrealised potential for high quality care. In addition, such problems are often handled by healthcare professionals who have not been trained to make these types of complex decisions. This in turn reduces the availability of staff for patient contact in the form of treatment and care.

InPlan-CARE develops novel quantitative methods for decision support of integrated planning problems in hospitals. In co-operation with hospitals, these models are carefully evaluated in order to test their suitability for real-life application. Ultimately, the aim of this network is to promote awareness of the need for integrated planning among decision-makers in the healthcare sector, but also in research – specifically through interdisciplinary projects. The network brings together young scientists from Germany, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom. All members already have experience in the fields of healthcare management and quantitative planning. Concrete research questions that address the above-mentioned objectives are dealt with in workshops and topic-specific working groups. The dissemination of the results achieved is ensured through presentations at national and international conferences and publications in peer-reviewed journals in an appropriate form.

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