Mabin, Vicky, Julie Yee, Vanessa Caldwell, Sally Babington, and Robyn Moore - How TOC Dramatically Improved the Delivery of Chemotherapy Treatments in a Large Public Hospital

(Operations / Supply Chain)

Download the PDF   |    Back to 2020 TOCICO Virtual Conference Proceedings Video Portal

About this Conference Video: Public health care providers typically struggle with the need to meet demand for services, within a limited budget. This paper describes an analysis of a large public hospital, using the Theory of Constraints’ (TOC) comprehensive set of mapping tools to logically represent a problematic situation and investigate options for resolution. Based on the symptoms present, root causes and conflicts were identified, along with potential solutions. Further TOC tools were used to check for possible side effects of the solution, and identify obstacles that might impede successful implementation. Based on the TOC analysis, a trial project was implemented with significant benefits for two departments. Outcomes included dramatically reduced patient wait times and staff overtime, increased patient satisfaction, increased efficiencies, smoothed workload, and improved staff morale and retention, while maintaining patient safety and integrity of treatment, and staying within defined cost parameters.

About the Presenter: Vicky Mabin, PhD FORS is Adjunct Professor at the Victoria University of Wellington’s School of Business and Government. She has taught several hundred students about TOC and conducted and supervised many projects using TOC. Vicky led the first implementation of TOC in New Zealand in 1987, and has written over 200 journal articles, books, chapters, conference papers, teaching texts, and technical reports, many of which are on TOC. She is leading author of TOC TP articles, and co-author of The World of TOC (2000), bibliographical articles on TOC, and co-creator of the TOC research articles database.

Vicky served on the TOCICO Board of Directors from 2016–2019 and is a frequent presenter at TOCICO and Operations Research/Decision Sciences conferences. She has received top awards including Fellow of the ORS (UK), the ORSNZ’s premier award the Hans Daellenbach Prize for her contributions to the theory and application of OR, particularly TOC, and most recently the Griffiths Medal for the best paper in the last 2 years in the Health Systems journal.

© Copyright TOCICO, 2020 All Rights Reserved. No part of this recording may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the TOCICO. Except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. Any claim, controversy, dispute or cause of action shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the Laws of the United States of America and the State of New York. For permission requests please contact the TOCICO at  admin@TOCICO.org