Constrained Optimization for Decision Making in Health Care Using Python: A Tutorial

K H Benjamin Leung; Nasrin Yousefi; Timothy C Y Chan; Ahmed M Bayoumi

doi:10.1177/0272989X231188027

Constrained Optimization for Decision Making in Health Care Using Python: A Tutorial

Med Decis Making. 2023 Oct-Nov;43(7-8):760-773. doi: 10.1177/0272989X231188027. Epub 2023 Jul 22.

Authors

K H Benjamin Leung^{1

2}, Nasrin Yousefi³, Timothy C Y Chan¹, Ahmed M Bayoumi^{4

5

6

7}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
² Scottish Ambulance Service, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.
³ Smith School of Business, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
⁴ MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁵ Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁶ Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁷ Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, ON, Canada.

Abstract

This tutorial provides a user-friendly guide to mathematically formulating constrained optimization problems and implementing them using Python.Two examples are presented to illustrate how constrained optimization is used in health applications, with accompanying Python code provided.

Keywords: Python tutorial; constrained optimization; prescriptive analytics; resource allocation.

MeSH terms

Decision Making*
Delivery of Health Care*
Humans