Abstract

Operational Research (OR) involves the use of analytical methods, such as mathematical modelling and problem structuring, to support decisions about ‘real world’ problems. In this presentation, Dr Crowe from UCL ’s Clinical Operational Research Unit will draw on examples to illustrate how OR can inform the organisation and delivery of health care services. There will be a particular focus on the combined use of quantitative (‘hard’) and qualitative (‘soft’) OR methods to tackle problems in care pathways that span multiple settings. Application areas include services provided in the community for babies following cardiac surgery, and overcrowding in the emergency department of an acute hospital. She will offer her own reflections on the parallels and differences between OR and design approaches to complex care delivery systems, and invite a discussion about how the two disciplines might inform and augment each other.