Quantitative Approaches in Health Care Management

Health care policy makers are facing the problem of limited expenditures and growing demand. Thus, quantitative approaches can help solve this urging issue. For this reason, the EURO Working Group on Operational Research Applied to Health Services (ORAHS) was formed in 1975. The objectives of the group are communication of ideas, knowledge and experience concerning the application of Operational Research approaches and methods to problems in the health services area, mutual assistance among members, co-operation on joint projects, inspiration with regard to approaches and attitudes in this field. The 27th meeting of this group was hosted by the University of Vienna, Austria, 2001. This book covers a selection of 18 papers presented at this conference.

The Editors: Marion Rauner received an MBA in Business Computer Science and a Ph.D. in Social and Economic Sciences from the University of Vienna, Austria, and a MBA in Business Administration from the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration, Austria. She is presently Assistant Professor, Department of Innovation and Technology Management, University of Vienna, Austria. Her research interests include international health care systems, disease policy modelling, operations research in public health as well as evaluation and management of healthcare technologies. She was awarded the Young, Talented Scientists Award of the Vienna City Government in 2000 and the Pharmig Price for Health Economics in 2002. Kurt Heidenberger received the M.A. in Mathematics, the Ph.D. in Economics and Social Science and the Habilitation in Business Administration from the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany. He is presently Professor and Chair, Department of Innovation and Technology Management, University of Vienna, Austria. His research interests include applications of management science and decision support systems to issues of strategic management, innovation/technology management, and health policy. He has served as Chair for the Health Applications Working Group of the German Society of Operations Research from 1983 to 1994.