Healthcare’s Sustainable Resource Planning Using Neutrosophic Goal Programming

We develop neutrosophic goal programming models for sustainable resource planning in a healthcare organization. The neutrosophic approach can help examine the imprecise aspiration levels of resources. For deneutrosophication, the neutrosophic value is transformed into three intervals based on the truth, falsity, and indeterminacy-membership functions. Then, a crisp value is derived. Moreover, multi-choice goal programming is also used to get a crisp value. The proposed models seek to draw a strategic plan and long-term vision for a healthcare organization. Accordingly, the specific aims of the proposed flexible models are meant to evaluate hospital service performance and to establish an optimal plan to meet the growing patient needs. As a result, sustainability’s economic and social goals will be achieved so that the total cost would be optimized, patients’ waiting time would be reduced, high-quality services would be offered, and appropriate medical drugs would be provided. The simplicity and feasibility of the proposed models are validated using real data collected from the Al-Amal Center for Oncology, Aden, Yemen. The results obtained indicate the robustness of the proposed models, which would be valuable for planners who could guide healthcare staff in providing the necessary resources for optimal annual planning.

The Outpatient Use of Ascorbic Acid in a Public Healthcare Organization in Riyadh Region

Aim: The present study aimed to describe the outpatient use of ascorbic acid in a public healthcare organization in Riyadh Region. Methodology: This is a retrospective study included reviewing the outpatient electronic prescriptions that contained ascorbic acid in a public healthcare organization in Riyadh Region. Results: More than 51% of the patients who received ascorbic acid in the hospital during 2018 were females and the age of 57.14 % of them was less than 30 years. Most of the prescriptions were regular prescriptions (88.57%) and only 5.71% of the prescriptions were urgent prescriptions. More than 42% of the patients received ascorbic acid for 1 week and 37.14% of them received it for 1 month. Most of the prescriptions were prescribed by residents (85.71%) and most of these prescriptions were prescribed by emergency department (80.00%). Conclusion: The prescribing of ascorbic acid was uncommon in the public hospital. More studies are needed to know the frequency and the pattern of using ascorbic acid in the public hospital and in other healthcare organizations in Riyadh Region.

The Use of Fluorometholone Eye Drops in a Public Healthcare Organization in Riyadh Province

Aim: This study aimed to describe the use of fluorometholone eye drops in a public healthcare organization in Riyadh Province Methodology: This is a retrospective study that includes reviewing the electronic prescriptions of fluorometholone eye drops among outpatients in a public healthcare organization in Riyadh Province Results: During the study period, only 42 patients received fluorometholone eye drops. More than 64% of them were females and the age of 28.57% of them was between 20 and 29 years. More than 73% of the patients received fluorometholone eye drops for 1 week. Most of the prescriptions were prescribed by residents. More than 95% of the prescriptions were written by ophthalmology department. Conclusion: The present study showed that fluorometholone eye drops was uncommonly prescribed in Al-Kharj. More studies are needed to describe the frequency of using and the pattern of prescribing fluorometholone eye drops.

The Use of Zinc Oxide in a Public Healthcare Organization in Riyadh Region

Aim: The present study aimed to describe the use of zinc oxide in a public healthcare organization in Riyadh Region. Methodology: This is a retrospective study that includes reviewing the electronic prescriptions of zinc oxide among outpatients in a public healthcare organization in Riyadh Region. Results: More than 52% of the patients who received zinc oxide were males and the age of 79.41% of them was less than 10 years. More than 55% of the patients received zinc oxide for 1 week and 17.65% of them received zinc oxide for 2 weeks. All of the prescriptions were prescribed by residents (100.00%). Most of the prescriptions were written by emergency department (76.47%). Conclusion: The present study showed that zinc oxide was uncommonly prescribed in Al-Kharj. Additional studies are needed to explore the frequency of and the pattern of using it in different settings.

Clinical Outcome of Neurological patients with COVID-19: the impact of Healthcare organization improvement between waves.

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the differences of clinical presentations and the impact of healthcare organization on outcomes of neurological COVID-19 patients admitted during the first and second pandemic waves. Methods: In this single center cohort study, we included all patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection admitted to a Neuro-COVID Unit. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data were compared between patients admitted during the first and second waves of COVID-19 pandemic. Results: 223 patients were included, of whom 112 and 111 hospitalized during the first and second pandemic waves, respectively. Patients admitted during the second wave were younger and exhibited pulmonary COVID-19 severity, resulting in less oxygen support (n=41, 36.9% vs n=79, 70.5%, p<0.001) and lower mortality rates (14.4% vs 31.3%, p=0.004). The different healthcare strategies and early steroid treatment emerged as significant predictors of mortality independently from age, premorbid conditions and COVID-19 severity in cox regression analyses. Conclusions: Differences in healthcare strategies during the second phase of COVID-19 pandemic probably explain the differences in clinical outcomes independently of disease severity, underlying the importance of standardized early management of neurological patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The Healthcare Organization in COVID-19 Age: An Evaluation Framework for the Performance of a Telemonitoring Model

Telemedicine services (TS) are not only supportive for healthcare professionals, but managers also see them as essential for the provision of an efficient, effective, and sustainable healthcare service. Several systems make TS available in different ways and contexts. However, no commonly accepted framework meets the need to draw conclusions about which TS can efficiently be measured. For this purpose, a framework is proposed in order to define a dynamic method of performance evaluation that can be used to improve the sustainable management of a telemonitoring model for COVID-19 patients. A case study analysis based on the experience of three telemedicine networks in different locations providing telemonitoring services (northern, central, and southern Italy) was performed. A total of four phases (1. Identification of the target population; 2. Identification of health needs; 3. Definition of the operational plan; and 4. Monitoring of the service by indicators), and seven indicators have been identified. Despite the differences raised in the Italian contexts, applying a performance evaluation framework could help the managerial sector to understand if the service is working as intended and what effects the service is producing on the healthcare organization. Considering the long-term field experience, this framework is an easy-to-use tool that will allow healthcare organizations to evaluate the performance of their telemonitoring model, and improve it according to new needs. Providing a healthcare service in an efficient context is fundamental for the sustainability of the health system as a whole.