Appointment planning and scheduling in outpatient procedure centers

Abstract

This chapter provides a summary of the planning and scheduling decisions for outpatient procedure centers. A summary and background of outpatient procedure centers and their operations is provided along with the challenges faced by managers. Planning and scheduling decisions are discussed and categorized as either long-or short-term decisions. Examples and results are drawn from the literature along with important factors that influence planning and scheduling decisions. A summary of open challenges for the operations research community is presented.