**IIM Indore Researchers Develop Data-Driven Framework to Revolutionize Chemotherapy Delivery**
*Indore (Madhya Pradesh)*: Researchers at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Indore have unveiled a pioneering data-driven framework aimed at significantly reducing patient waiting times and enhancing hospital efficiency in chemotherapy delivery. This innovation offers much-needed relief to cancer care systems worldwide, particularly those strained by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The research, titled **”Towards Effective Cancer Care Service Delivery Design in Emerging Economies: A Real Case-Based Simulation Study,”** has been published in the *Journal of the Operational Research Society*. The study is co-authored by Prof. Bhavin J. Shah and Prof. Hasmukh Gajjar of IIM Indore, alongside a faculty member from St. Cloud State University, USA.
### A Focus on Inpatient Chemotherapy
Drawing insights from a real case study at a cancer hospital in southern India, the paper develops a robust simulation model that captures the complex dynamics of inpatient chemotherapy services. Unlike prior studies mostly focused on outpatient treatment, this research concentrates on inpatient service delivery—addressing the challenges hospitals face in managing growing patient loads amidst limited resources.
The study highlights persistent inefficiencies in chemotherapy services, particularly the long waiting times experienced by patients undergoing shorter treatment regimens. These delays result in higher bed occupancy rates and compromise the overall quality of care.
### Innovative Interventions to Alleviate Bottlenecks
To address these challenges, the researchers tested three strategic interventions:
– **Staggered work shifts** for oncologists and medical assistants
– **Prioritization of short-duration chemotherapy treatments**
– **Pooling of junior oncologists across different service lines**
According to the study’s findings, implementing these combined measures can reduce patient waiting times by up to **93.5%**, while nearly **60% of patients** could be treated and discharged on the same day. This improvement dramatically enhances hospital bed turnover and operational efficiency.
### Scaling Capacity with Modest Adjustments
The simulation model further demonstrated the capacity to handle up to **1.5 times the current patient load** when supported by modest adjustments such as increasing bed strength or shifting a larger proportion of patients to short-duration chemotherapy regimens.
“Faced with a massive post-pandemic backlog, hospitals need flexible delivery models that don’t rely on heavy capital investment. This framework offers administrators actionable tools to reorganize services more effectively,” said the study’s authors.
### Implications for Emerging Economies
The research holds far-reaching implications for healthcare systems in emerging economies, where infrastructure constraints are common. By applying operations research techniques like discrete-event simulation, the study illustrates how hospitals can balance complex medical procedures alongside managerial efficiency.
While the researchers acknowledge certain limitations—such as the exclusion of critical end-stage chemotherapy cases—the framework sets the stage for future advancements. These include improved integration of inpatient and outpatient planning and the potential development of dedicated day-care chemotherapy units.
“As cancer continues to be a global health burden, the study underlines that innovations in care delivery are just as vital as breakthroughs in treatment itself,” said Prof. Bhavin J. Shah.
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*For media inquiries or further information, please contact IIM Indore’s research department.*
https://www.freepressjournal.in/indore/iim-indore-charts-model-to-transform-cancer-care-in-emerging-economies