Dynamic Control of Service Systems with Returns: Application to Design of Postdischarge Hospital Readmission Prevention Programs
研究了如何动态分配出院后干预措施（如电话随访、门诊预约）以平衡降低再入院概率与成本，通过分析流体控制问题设计基于系统拥堵程度的干预协议。
Dynamic Control of Service Systems with Returns Postdischarge interventions (e.g., follow-up phone calls, outpatient appointments) are commonly used to reduce unplanned hospital readmissions. Such interventions have been shown to be effective (to varying degrees) in reducing the probability of readmission (or return). The interventions are, however, costly, and hence, their benefits need to be carefully balanced with the costs. In “Dynamic Control of Service Systems with Returns: Application to Design of Postdischarge Hospital Readmission Prevention Programs,” Chan, Huang, and Sarhangian investigate how postservice interventions should be dynamically allocated, accounting for their costs as well as their benefits in terms of reducing returns and congestion costs. To this end, they study a transient queueing control problem and examine the structure of the optimal policy by analyzing associated fluid-control problems. The structural results motivate the design of intuitive surge protocols whereby different intensities of interventions are provided based on the congestion level of the system.