Operations Management

Operations Management plays a vital role in improving healthcare. Some of its core concepts and tools, such as Lean and statistical process control, have their own Elements in this series.

In this Element, the authors provide an overview of three major topics in healthcare operations management: capacity and demand, focus, and people and process. They demonstrate how queuing theory reveals counterintuitive insights about capacity utilisation and waiting times. Additionally, the authors examine how strategic focus can achieve significant productivity gains while creating potential inequities. They explore why process improvements must account for human behaviours like multitasking and workarounds.

Using practical examples, the authors illustrate both the critical role and the limitations of operations management against a backdrop of high demand and resource constraints.

This title is also available as open access on Cambridge Core.