A bibliometric examination of chemotherapy operations management PhD research directions for 2022

Cancer care providers face several operational issues across the world. From screening and diagnosis to therapy, operations management research can bring crucial solutions to these problems. The increase in publications published on the outpatient chemotherapy procedure (OCP) in recent years demonstrates that progress has been rapid. This study aimed to understand the evolution of OCP by a complete investigation and up-to-date bibliometric analysis of the literature in this area. Based on the shortcomings identified, this blog recommends future research initiatives that could lead to more insightful outcomes for legitimate OCP challenges.

Introduction

Cancer is the 2nd leading cause of mortality in the globe, and cancer is responsible for more than 16% of all fatalities in the world today. According to the most current world cancer report, in 2010, total worldwide cancer expenses were estimated to be at $1.16 trillion. By 2040, the number of cancer cases detected yearly is predicted to double, resulting in a 50 % rise. Bibliometric analysis Surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, or a combination of the three can be used to treat cancer. Despite this, chemotherapy was required by more than half of all cancer patients worldwide in 2018. Over the following two decades, the individual perspectives a serious health problem caused by unmet chemotherapeutic demand.

Publication collection and bibliometric analysis

The selection of bibliographic research databases for a comprehensive search was the major responsibility in the publication collecting phase. Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, Digital Science Dimensions, and Cochrane databases were used to gather publications. The search query phrases and Boolean operators were identified in the following stage. The goal was to collect as many relevant publications as possible to allow for a thorough evaluation and analysis; as a result, a scientific process for determining search keywords was accepted.

Table.01 Outpatient chemotherapy process (OCP) quantitative model classification system

The medical writing research requirements were achieved by examining the content of publications using the structural dimensions and analytical scope that had been established.

Fig.01 Research methodology

Optimization-oriented research framework: social network analysis

Thesis in medicine to build a conceptual model of the issue under inquiry, social network analysis (SNA) can be employed. After completing a content analysis of the evaluated papers using the categorization system, the SNA will be used to construct the OCP research framework. Using the social structure mapping program VOSviewer, the linkages found in the retrieved data were utilized to create a quantitative social network model (Fig. 2). A model classification feature is shown by a circle in Fig. 2, while the link between two features demonstrates their coexistence in a model. A circle’s diameter is proportional to the total number of ties it has to other processes.

While medical research topics and operational information such as treatment procedures and probability distributions are used as inputs in each phase in the patient pathway, the ultimate objective is to offer high-quality and cost-effective services.

Fig. 02. Social network analysis of the quantitative OCP optimization models.

Content analysis

• Research scope

Performance measurements, which can be quantitative or qualitative, can drive the goal of an OCP model. All existing models are quantitative because qualitative objectives may be measured. Day selection considerations are part of the planning issues. Treatment planning includes deciding on treatment days, recuperation days, and the medication dosages used each day. When arranging horizon days within the restrictions provided by the treatment plans, patient planning entails identifying the most efficient patient distributions. These two types of planning are linked to a third type of planning: medical and oncology planning.

• Time measures

In contrast, around 11% of the publications evaluated in the thesis academic writing aim to reduce the gap between the intended day and the day of therapy as described in the treatment protocol. Only one of these papers aimed to reduce new patient waits and tolerances.

• Cost measures

Almost 40% of the publications on the list include cost measurements as a primary or secondary goal. Surprisingly, all of these articles focused on overcoming time concerns in the planning scope at the outset. The focus on cost arises from the fact that the amount of delay that may be reduced is related to the cost. As a result, academics frequently employ a multi-objective function to save costs.

• Workload measures

The creation of comprehensive daily plans that assign resources to individual patients is at the core of workload difficulties. As a result, fairness, usage, and capacity factors are included in OCP workload measurements. In nearly half of the evaluated articles that deal with workload difficulties, fairness has been researched and debated.

• Satisfaction-related measures

Demand fulfilment, treatment efficiency, and patient preferences are some satisfaction-related variables unique to OCP. Demand fulfilment is the most researched metric because it is so important to patient health. Three studies incorporated objective functions that combined demand fulfilment with additional time, cost, or workload-related goals.

Arrangement of publications by model formulation and solution technique

To solve OCP challenges, a variety of modelling methodologies have been utilized. These techniques’ models are divided into uncertainty handling, model type, and solution methodology.

Conclusion

A bibliometric analysis of chemotherapeutic operations management revealed that OCP optimization-oriented research is relevant to various scholarly publications. The story of the quantitative models was investigated using the SNA technique to construct a conceptual model, and SNA results were then used to create the OCP optimization-oriented research framework. The three primary intervention types recommended by the articles were discovered through content analysis: decision support systems for planning, scheduling, and resource assignment. As a result, developing rapid methods to solve complicated OCP models will be a big research topic in the future. Finally, significant process improvement research is necessary to bridge the gap between OCP optimization-oriented research and reality.

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 References

1. Hadid, Majed, et al. “Bibliometric analysis of cancer care operations management: current status, developments, and future directions.” Health Care Management Science (2022): 1-20.
2. Hadid, Majed, et al. “Operations Management of Outpatient Chemotherapy Process: An Optimization-Oriented Comprehensive Review.” Operations Research Perspectives(2021): 100214.