Title: The Regenstrief Center for Healthcare Engineering: designing, implementing, and sustaining interdisciplinary solutions to transform healthcare delivery systems

Authors: Steven M. Witz

Addresses: Regenstrief Center for Healthcare Engineering, Purdue University, 1201 West State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2054, USA

Abstract: With start-up funding provided by the Regenstrief Foundation, Purdue University has created the Regenstrief Center for Healthcare Engineering (RCHE) to design, implement, and sustain interdisciplinary solutions to improve the safety, quality, efficiency and accessibility of healthcare delivery systems. RCHE|s primary goal is to bring a systems analysis approach to improving the processes of healthcare delivery, not to provide tools or techniques for medical research, diagnosis, or treatment. This article will describe RCHE|s business model; that is, how RCHE |engineers| interdisciplinary solutions, using the multiple perspectives of healthcare and multiple project time scales to organise and leverage healthcare delivery transformation. We then illustrate the model through the description of projects conducted with RCHE|s |partnerships| with various healthcare delivery organisations. We conclude with a discussion of future directions for RCHE.

Keywords: healthcare delivery; interdisciplinary solutions; metrics; Regenstrief Center for Healthcare Engineering; RCHE; systems analysis; transformational; safety; quality; efficiency; accessibility; business models; healthcare management; healthcare technology.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHTM.2007.013171

International Journal of Healthcare Technology and Management, 2007 Vol.8 No.3/4, pp.399 - 416

Published online: 11 Apr 2007 *

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