Health care logistics: mapping and optimization of patients logistics

Abstract

Healthcare logistics play an important role in management, being attributed the activities of acquisition, distribution and movement of materials, professionals and patients. This work aims to develop a study, using the healthcare logistics in the movement of patients in the third health region of Paraná, proposing a linear programming problem that will pass through a computational simulation, considering the existing demands and constraints in the system, aiming to optimize the flow of patients from this region. The present study developed four mathematical models, based on demands and constraints followed by linear programming in order to find the best possible solution for the flow of patients from the third health region of the state of Paraná. The study developed reached its goal of optimization, generating an economy in the transportation of patients. Through the analysis of the results, it is concluded that the model that best suits the presented problem is the one of costs minimization, since the one of vehicles presented higher costs. Possibly the model that minimizes the vehicles would bring better results if the vehicles were not outsourced, but of the Ponta Grossa City Hall (PMPG). Was possible to verify the importance of the theme, especially when referring to the flow of patients in the health services due to the lack of studies with this specific approach. Even with the scarcity of data, it is possible to notice the potential for improvements on this patient transport system.