Improving resiliency of healthcare systems in response to epidemics

With the outbreak of COVID- 19 at the start of 2020, healthcare systems all over the world have been overwhelmed. As the dust settles, questions have been raised with regards to the efficacy and resiliency of these healthcare systems. COVID- 19 isn’t the first epidemic to have befallen the world; it...

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Main Author: Low, Alan Yu Hao
Other Authors: Chen Songlin
Format: Final Year Project
Language:English
Published: Nanyang Technological University 2021
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Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10356/150784
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Institution: Nanyang Technological University
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spelling sg-ntu-dr.10356-1507842021-06-05T04:52:20Z Improving resiliency of healthcare systems in response to epidemics Low, Alan Yu Hao Chen Songlin School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Songlin@ntu.edu.sg Engineering::Mathematics and analysis Engineering::Mechanical engineering With the outbreak of COVID- 19 at the start of 2020, healthcare systems all over the world have been overwhelmed. As the dust settles, questions have been raised with regards to the efficacy and resiliency of these healthcare systems. COVID- 19 isn’t the first epidemic to have befallen the world; it won’t be the last either. There is hence a need to better prepare healthcare systems for the next outbreak. By modelling a healthcare system as a dynamic feedback model in times of an epidemic, we can analyse how much the system can take before it implodes. Input to the system is the number of infected patients, and output is those who have recovered or succumbed to the disease. Using a stock and flow diagram coupled with system dynamics, we can also find out the feedback loops that reinforce this cycle. Such feedback loops are essentially the factors that cause an epidemic to spiral beyond the capacity of a healthcare system. Quantitative aspects of this study include predictive modelling that helps hospitals develop foresight when it comes to capacity planning, and also its inventory management. A case study of Singapore – which has performed exceptionally well in COVID- 19 – will also be explored. The conclusion shows that a resilient healthcare system requires more than just intrinsic factors on the hospital’s part – macro factors at play needs to be managed effectively as well. This research paper aims to address the gaping holes that have been revealed in today’s healthcare systems by COVID- 19, and it illuminates the fact that much more can indeed be done to prepare such systems for the next infectious disease outbreak. Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering) 2021-06-05T04:47:25Z 2021-06-05T04:47:25Z 2021 Final Year Project (FYP) Low, A. Y. H. (2021). Improving resiliency of healthcare systems in response to epidemics. Final Year Project (FYP), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. https://hdl.handle.net/10356/150784 https://hdl.handle.net/10356/150784 en B227 application/pdf Nanyang Technological University
institution Nanyang Technological University
building NTU Library
continent Asia
country Singapore
Singapore
content_provider NTU Library
collection DR-NTU
language English
topic Engineering::Mathematics and analysis
Engineering::Mechanical engineering
spellingShingle Engineering::Mathematics and analysis
Engineering::Mechanical engineering
Low, Alan Yu Hao
Improving resiliency of healthcare systems in response to epidemics
description With the outbreak of COVID- 19 at the start of 2020, healthcare systems all over the world have been overwhelmed. As the dust settles, questions have been raised with regards to the efficacy and resiliency of these healthcare systems. COVID- 19 isn’t the first epidemic to have befallen the world; it won’t be the last either. There is hence a need to better prepare healthcare systems for the next outbreak. By modelling a healthcare system as a dynamic feedback model in times of an epidemic, we can analyse how much the system can take before it implodes. Input to the system is the number of infected patients, and output is those who have recovered or succumbed to the disease. Using a stock and flow diagram coupled with system dynamics, we can also find out the feedback loops that reinforce this cycle. Such feedback loops are essentially the factors that cause an epidemic to spiral beyond the capacity of a healthcare system. Quantitative aspects of this study include predictive modelling that helps hospitals develop foresight when it comes to capacity planning, and also its inventory management. A case study of Singapore – which has performed exceptionally well in COVID- 19 – will also be explored. The conclusion shows that a resilient healthcare system requires more than just intrinsic factors on the hospital’s part – macro factors at play needs to be managed effectively as well. This research paper aims to address the gaping holes that have been revealed in today’s healthcare systems by COVID- 19, and it illuminates the fact that much more can indeed be done to prepare such systems for the next infectious disease outbreak.
author2 Chen Songlin
author_facet Chen Songlin
Low, Alan Yu Hao
format Final Year Project
author Low, Alan Yu Hao
author_sort Low, Alan Yu Hao
title Improving resiliency of healthcare systems in response to epidemics
title_short Improving resiliency of healthcare systems in response to epidemics
title_full Improving resiliency of healthcare systems in response to epidemics
title_fullStr Improving resiliency of healthcare systems in response to epidemics
title_full_unstemmed Improving resiliency of healthcare systems in response to epidemics
title_sort improving resiliency of healthcare systems in response to epidemics
publisher Nanyang Technological University
publishDate 2021
url https://hdl.handle.net/10356/150784
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