@article{pmid41661916,

title = {Analyzing service descriptors and patients' clinical characteristics may help understand heterogeneity in long-term trajectory of patients with schizophrenia, bipolar and major depressive disorder},

author = {Vittorio Nicoletta and Angel Ruiz and Valérie Bélanger and Thomas Paccalet and Maripier Isabelle and Michel Maziade},

doi = {10.1371/journal.pmen.0000327},

issn = {2837-8156},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-01-01},

journal = {PLOS Ment Health},

volume = {2},

number = {5},

pages = {e0000327},

abstract = {One major obstacle to advancing research and treatment for major psychiatric disorders is their substantial within-diagnosis heterogeneity in patient lifetime trajectories. Adapted research methods such as cluster analysis to define subgroups of patients are currently used. However few studies have included service delivery descriptors in cluster analysis to investigate the determinants of heterogeneity in long-term trajectories. The aim of this study was to test whether patterns of service delivery could help in defining subgroups in terms of trajectories and clinical profiles in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or major depressive disorder patients. Hierarchical Agglomerative Clustering (HAC) algorithms were used on a sample extracted from a Quebec government (Canada) transactional database to group and classify patients according to their interactions with the service delivery system. The resulting clusters were analyzed using statistical tools to characterize service trajectories. We observed three distinct trajectories that were not specific to any one of the three lifetime psychiatric diagnoses. Clusters were particularly affected by varying rates of clinician changes across the trajectory and changes of diagnoses. Results suggest that incorporating service delivery characteristics in future longitudinal studies of heterogeneity might be useful as a complement to studies that solely examine patients' clinical features. The inclusion of service delivery elements may also be a useful tool for acquiring knowledge to adapt services to patients' needs in public mental health and mental health economics research.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{pmid38446320,

title = {Real-time management of intra-hospital patient transport requests},

author = {Vinicius M Ton and Nathália C O da Silva and Angel Ruiz and José E Pécora and Cassius T Scarpin and Valérie Bélenger},

doi = {10.1007/s10729-024-09667-6},

issn = {1572-9389},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-06-01},

journal = {Health Care Manag Sci},

volume = {27},

number = {2},

pages = {208--222},

abstract = {This paper addresses the management of patients' transportation requests within a hospital, a very challenging problem where requests must be scheduled among the available porters so that patients arrive at their destination timely and the resources invested in patient transport are kept as low as possible. Transportation requests arrive during the day in an unpredictable manner, so they need to be scheduled in real-time. To ensure that the requests are scheduled in the best possible manner, one should also reconsider the decisions made on pending requests that have not yet been completed, a process that will be referred to as rescheduling. This paper proposes several policies to trigger and execute the rescheduling of pending requests and three approaches (a mathematical formulation, a constructive heuristic, and a local search heuristic) to solve each rescheduling problem. A simulation tool is proposed to assess the performance of the rescheduling strategies and the proposed scheduling methods to tackle instances inspired by a real mid-size hospital. Compared to a heuristic that mimics the way requests are currently handled in our partner hospital, the best combination of scheduling method and rescheduling strategy produces an average 5.7 minutes reduction in response time and a 13% reduction in the percentage of late requests. Furthermore, since the total distance walked by porters is substantially reduced, our experiments demonstrate that it is possible to reduce the number of porters - and therefore the operating costs - without reducing the current level of service.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Ton2024,

title = {Real-time management of intra-hospital patient transport requests},

author = {Vinicius M. Ton and Nathália C. O. da Silva and Angel Ruiz and José E. Pécora and Cassius T. Scarpin and Valérie Bélenger},

doi = {10.1007/s10729-024-09667-6},

issn = {1572-9389},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-03-06},

journal = {Health Care Manag Sci},

volume = {27},

number = {2},

pages = {208--222},

publisher = {Springer Science and Business Media LLC},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Lagarda-Leyva2024,

title = {A System Dynamics Approach to Valorize Overripe Figs in the Brewing of Artisanal Beer},

author = {Ernesto A. Lagarda-Leyva and Angel Ruiz and Luis Fernando Morales-Mendoza},

doi = {10.3390/su16041627},

issn = {2071-1050},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-02-16},

journal = {Sustainability},

volume = {16},

number = {4},

publisher = {MDPI AG},

abstract = {<jats:p>Craft beer production has grown extensively worldwide. The variety of products and grains that can be used in production make this artisanal product unique. In this study, we propose a system dynamics model that allows for the evaluation of different production scenarios in which figs are used as the main ingredient. This research is inspired by the real case of small fig producers in Valle del Mayo in Navojoa, Sonora, Mexico, who, in 2020, took on the challenge of creating a processing factory for fig-derived products. This paper presents the development and application of a system dynamics approach to model the entire supply chain of overripe figs, i.e., figs that cannot be marketed in prime quality but can still be used in the production of derivative products. The method used for its development encompasses the following stages: (1) defining the craft beer supply chain variables; (2) elaborating on causal diagrams; (3) producing model stock and flow diagrams; (4) model validation; (5) sensitivity analysis and scenario evaluations; and (6) building a graphical user interface (GUI). The proposed model allows managers to assess several production policies under various assumptions of capacity and beer demand, demonstrating its value as an effective tool for strategic decision making.</jats:p>},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{pmid37275436,

title = {A simulation model for predicting hospital occupancy for Covid-19 using archetype analysis},

author = {Eduardo Redondo and Vittorio Nicoletta and Valérie Bélanger and José P Garcia-Sabater and Paolo Landa and Julien Maheut and Juan A Marin-Garcia and Angel Ruiz},

doi = {10.1016/j.health.2023.100197},

issn = {2772-4425},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-11-01},

journal = {Healthc Anal (N Y)},

volume = {3},

pages = {100197},

abstract = {COVID-19 pandemic has sent millions of people to hospitals worldwide, exhausting on many occasions the capacity of healthcare systems to provide care patients required to survive. Although several epidemiological research works have contributed a variety of models and approaches to anticipate the pandemic spread, very few have tried to translate the output of these models into hospital service requirements, particularly in terms of bed occupancy, a key question for hospital managers. This paper proposes a tool for predicting the current and future occupancy associated with COVID-19 patients of a hospital to help managers make informed decisions to maximize the availability of hospitalization and intensive care unit (ICU) beds and ensure adequate access to services for confirmed COVID-19 patients. The proposed tool uses a discrete event simulation approach that uses archetypes (i.e., empirical models of trajectories) extracted from empirical analysis of actual patient trajectories. Archetypes can be fitted to trajectories observed in different regions or to the particularities of current and forthcoming variants using a rather small amount of data. Numerical experiments on realistic instances demonstrate the accuracy of the tool's predictions and illustrate how it can support managers in their daily decisions concerning the system's capacity and ensure patients the access the resources they require.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Redondo2023,

title = {A simulation model for predicting hospital occupancy for Covid-19 using archetype analysis},

author = {Eduardo Redondo and Vittorio Nicoletta and Valérie Bélanger and José P. Garcia-Sabater and Paolo Landa and Julien Maheut and Juan A. Marin-Garcia and Angel Ruiz},

doi = {10.1016/j.health.2023.100197},

issn = {2772-4425},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-11-01},

journal = {Healthcare Analytics},

volume = {3},

publisher = {Elsevier BV},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Regis-Hernández2023,

title = {Solving jointly districting and resource location and allocation problems: An application to the design of Emergency Medical Services},

author = {Fabiola Regis-Hernández and Ettore Lanzarone and Valérie Bélanger and Angel Ruiz},

doi = {10.1016/j.cie.2023.109232},

issn = {0360-8352},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-05-01},

journal = {Computers & Industrial Engineering},

volume = {179},

publisher = {Elsevier BV},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Oliveira2023,

title = {A systematic literature review on the utilization of extended operating room hours to reduce surgical backlogs},

author = {Mariana Oliveira and Valérie Bélanger and Angel Ruiz and Daniel Santos},

doi = {10.3389/fpubh.2023.1118072},

issn = {2296-2565},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-04-13},

journal = {Front. Public Health},

volume = {11},

publisher = {Frontiers Media SA},

abstract = {This article is part of the Research Topic ‘Health Systems Recovery in the Context of COVID-19 and Protracted Conflict'IntroductionHospital managers address elective patient surgical backlogs with different strategies: increasing installed capacity, managing demand and improving efficiency. Recently, and particularly since the COVID-19 elective surgery suspension, extended operating room hours has been used to reduce waiting lists by taking advantage of empty operating rooms and existing surgical teams.MethodsTwo research questions are raised: (1) which are the scientific literature's insights related to the use of extended operating room hours to help reduce surgery backlogs? and (2) provided that a hospital decides to extend its operating room opening time, what are the main challenges and the key aspects to consider in the design and implementation of policies to manage extended operating room hours? A systematic review on Web of Science database was conducted to gather existing literature, published from January 2012 to December 2021, regarding strategies to reduce waiting lists using empty operating rooms outside regular working hours.ResultsA total of 12 papers were selected as relevant to address the two research questions. Results were organized according to their main features, namely setting, type of strategy, methodology, and how human resources are handled.DiscussionThe review suggests that extended operating room hours might be problematic if current staff is used and that a careful choice of patients should be made. However, its potential to reduce waiting times and its implications are discussed only superficially. Therefore, we analyze the implications of extending operating room hours from four different perspectives (management, staff, patients, and strategy deployment) and define some recommendations for policy makers and healthcare managers when implementing it in practice.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Romero-Mancilla2023,

title = {Pharmacy-based immunization: a systematic review},

author = {Marisol S. Romero-Mancilla and Jaime Mora-Vargas and Angel Ruiz},

doi = {10.3389/fpubh.2023.1152556},

issn = {2296-2565},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-04-13},

journal = {Front. Public Health},

volume = {11},

publisher = {Frontiers Media SA},

abstract = {BackgroundThe coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has prompted the exploration of new response strategies for such health contingencies in the near future. Over the last 15 years, several pharmacy-based immunization (PBI) strategies have emerged seeking to exploit the potential of pharmacies as immunization, medication sale, and rapid test centers. However, the participation of pharmacies during the last pandemic was very uneven from one country to another, suggesting a lack of consensus on the definition of their roles and gaps between the literature and practice.PurposeThis study aimed to consolidate the current state of the literature on PBI, document its progress over time, and identify the gaps not yet addressed. Moreover, this study seeks to (i) provide new researchers with an overview of the studies on PBI and (ii) to inform both public health and private organization managers on the range of possible immunization models and strategies.MethodologyA systematic review of scientific qualitative and quantitative studies on the most important scientific databases was conducted. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyzes guidelines were followed. Finally, this study discusses the trends, challenges, and limitations on the existing literature on PBI.FindingsMust studies concluded that PBI is a beneficial strategy for the population, particularly in terms of accessibility and territorial equity. However, the effectiveness of PBI is affected by the economic, political, and/or social context of the region. The collaboration between the public (government and health departments) and private (various pharmacy chains) sectors contributes to PBI's success.OriginalityUnlike previous literature reviews on PBI that compiled qualitative and statistical studies, this study reviewed studies proposing mathematical optimization methods to approach PBI.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Rivera2023,

title = {A systematic literature review of food banks’ supply chain operations with a focus on optimization models},

author = {Adrian Fernando Rivera and Neale R. Smith and Angel Ruiz},

doi = {10.1108/jhlscm-09-2021-0087},

issn = {2042-6747},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-02-09},

journal = {JHLSCM},

volume = {13},

number = {1},

pages = {10--25},

publisher = {Emerald},

abstract = {

Purpose

Food banks play an increasingly important role in society by mitigating hunger and helping needy people; however, research aimed at improving food bank operations is limited.





Design/methodology/approach

This systematic review used Web of Science and Scopus as search engines, which are extensive databases in Operations Research and Management Science. Ninety-five articles regarding food bank operations were deeply analyzed to contribute to this literature review.





Findings

Through a systematic literature review, this paper identifies the challenges faced by food banks from an operations management perspective and positions the scientific contributions proposed to address these challenges.





Originality/value

This study makes three main contributions to the current literature. First, this study provides new researchers with an overview of the key features of food bank operations. Second, this study identifies and classifies the proposed optimization models to support food bank managers with decision-making. Finally, this study discusses the challenges of food bank operations and proposes promising future research avenues.

},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}