Title: An artificial neural networks approach in managing healthcare

Authors: Michael Iheoma Okoroh, Benedict Dozie Ilozor, Peter Gombera

Addresses: Faculty of Arts, Design & Technology, School of Technology, University of Derby, Kedleston Road, Derby, DE22 1GB, UK. ' School of Engineering Technology, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI 48197, USA. ' Fix-UK, Capital & Regional plc, 10 Lower Grosvenor Place, London SW1W 0EN, UK

Abstract: Hospitals as learning organisations have evolved through complex phases of service failures and continuous service improvement to meet the business needs of a varied continuum of care customers. This paper explores the use of Artificial Neural Network (ANN) in the development of a decision support system to manage healthcare non-clinical services. The information (postal questionnaires and repertory grid interviews) used to develop the input to the National Healthcare Service Facilities Risk Exposure System (NHSFRES) was articulated from 60 experienced healthcare operators. The system provides a reasonable early warning signal to the healthcare managers, and can be used by decision makers to evaluate the severity of risks on healthcare non clinical business operations. The advantage of using NHSFRES is that healthcare managers can provide their own risk assessment values (point score system) based on their own healthcare management business knowledge/judgement and corporate objectives.

Keywords: National Healthcare Service Facilities Risk Exposure System; NHSFRES; decision support systems; DSS; neural networks; NHS; healthcare management; learning organisations; non-clinical services; risk assessment; e-health; electronic healthcare.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEH.2007.014548

International Journal of Electronic Healthcare, 2007 Vol.3 No.3, pp.279 - 292

Published online: 16 Jul 2007 *

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