Article ID: | iaor19951403 |
Country: | United Kingdom |
Volume: | 45 |
Issue: | 8 |
Start Page Number: | 916 |
End Page Number: | 926 |
Publication Date: | Aug 1994 |
Journal: | Journal of the Operational Research Society |
Authors: | Shahani A.K., Korve N., Jones K.P., Paynton D.J. |
Keywords: | asthma |
Asthma is one of the major chronic diseases in many countries. At present there is no cure for asthma, but medical advances can help to reduce the chances of attacks of the condition. Efficient care for asthma involves complexity, uncertainty, variability and the use of scarce resources, and these are the same conditions that indicate a possible use for the modelling approach of operational research. This paper is concerned with a pilot model that was developed through joint work by medical professionals and operational researchers. The development of the model is explained and illustrative results indicate the potential value of the modelling approach for the care of asthma in the community.