Developments in the field of healthcarelogistics and SCM : A patient flow focus

• PurposeDuring the last years, attention for healthcare logistics and SCM has begun. This is a novel topic, with a lack of literature reviews on research related to this field. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to provide guidance in how to develop healthcare logistics and SCM research related to patient flows.Design/methodology/approachThis paper adopted an exploratory literature review, focusing on patient flow issues, through a scanning of logistics and SCM journals. The identified articles references as well as the papers that had referred to the papers were also included in the review.FindingsThe field of healthcare logistics and SCM is still in its infancy, with few papers published. The papers with a supply chain or network as unit of analysis are mostly conceptual and the case studies mainly descriptive studies on a single healthcare unit. Some major challenges for future research is how to manage a complex service context, how to create flexibility in healthcare provision and coordinate multiple healthcare actors.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings should be considered as conceptual, and provides a basis for further empirical and theoretical based research.Practical implicationsThe results provide a basis for healthcare organizations and their managers, to build upon in their continuing efforts to develop more efficient patient flows.Original/valueThis literature review responds to the absence of an overview on research in healthcare logistics and SCM. It contributes to both logistics and SCM literature by identifying some important challenges and gaps for future research.

Subject headings

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Samhällsbyggnadsteknik -- Transportteknik och logistik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Civil Engineering -- Transport Systems and Logistics (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Healthcare

Logistics

Supply Chain Management

Patient flow

Literature review

Publication and Content Type

vet (subject category)

ovr (subject category)