Improvement of Work Process Performance with Task Assignments and Mental Workload Balancing

The outcome of a work process depends heavily on which tasks assigned to which employees. However, sometimes-optimized assignments based on employees’ qualifications may result in an uneven and ineffective workload distribution among them. Likewise, an even workload distribution without considering the employee\u27s qualifications may cause unproductive employee-task matching that results in low performance of employees. This trade-off is even more noticeable for work processes during critical time junctions, such as in military command centers and emergency rooms that require being fast and effective without making errors. This study proposes that optimizing task-employee assignments according to their capabilities while also keeping them under a workload threshold, results in better performance for work processes, especially during critical time junctions. The goal is to select the employee-task assignments in order to minimize the average duration of a work process while keeping the employees under a workload threshold to prevent errors caused by overload. Due to uncertainties inherent in the problem related with the inter-arrival time of work orders, task durations and employees\u27 instantaneous workload, a utilized simulation-optimization approach solves this problem. More specifically, a discrete event human performance simulation model evaluates the objective function of the problem coupled with a genetic algorithm based meta-heuristic optimization approach to search the solution space. This approach proved to be useful in determining the right task-agent assignments by taking into consideration the employees\u27 qualifications and mental workload in order to minimize the average duration of a work process. Use of a sample work process shows the effectiveness of the developed simulation-optimization approach. Numerical tests indicate that the proposed approach finds better solutions than common practices and other simulation-optimization methods. Accordingly, by using this method, organizations can increase performance, manage excess-level workloads, and generate higher satisfactory environments for employees, without modifying the structure of the process itself

A Cloud robotics architecture to foster individual child partnership in medical facilities

Robots and automation systems have become a valuable partner in several facets of human life: from learning and teaching, to daily working, including health monitoring and assistance. So far, these appealing robot-based applications are restricted to conduct repetitive, yet useful, tasks due to the reduced individual robots’ capabilities in terms of processing and computation. This concern prevents current robots from facing more complex applications related to understanding hu- man beings and perceiving their subtle feelings. Such hardware limitations have been already found in the computer science field. In this domain, they are currently being addressed using a new resource exploitation model coined as cloud computing, which is targeted at enabling massive storage and computation using smartly connected and inexpensive commodity hardware. The purpose of this paper is to propose a cloud-based robotics architecture to effectively develop complex tasks related to hospitalized children assistance. More specifically, this paper presents a multi-agent learning system that combines machine learning and cloud computing using low-cost robots to (1) collect and perceive children status, (2) build a human-readable set of rules related to the child-robot relationship, and (3) improve the children experience during their stay in the hos- pital. Conducted preliminary experiments proof the feasibility of this proposal and encourage practitioners to work towards this direction.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Robotic simulators for tissue examination training with multimodal sensory feedback

Tissue examination by hand remains an essential technique in clinical practice. The effective application depends on skills in sensorimotor coordination, mainly involving haptic, visual, and auditory feedback. The skills clinicians have to learn can be as subtle as regulating finger pressure with breathing, choosing palpation action, monitoring involuntary facial and vocal expressions in response to palpation, and using pain expressions both as a source of information and as a constraint on physical examination. Patient simulators can provide a safe learning platform to novice physicians before trying real patients. This paper reviews state-of-the-art medical simulators for the training for the first time with a consideration of providing multimodal feedback to learn as many manual examination techniques as possible. The study summarizes current advances in tissue examination training devices simulating different medical conditions and providing different types of feedback modalities. Opportunities with the development of pain expression, tissue modeling, actuation, and sensing are also analyzed to support the future design of effective tissue examination simulators

How a Diverse Research Ecosystem Has Generated New Rehabilitation Technologies: Review of NIDILRR’s Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers

Over 50 million United States citizens (1 in 6 people in the US) have a developmental, acquired, or degenerative disability. The average US citizen can expect to live 20% of his or her life with a disability. Rehabilitation technologies play a major role in improving the quality of life for people with a disability, yet widespread and highly challenging needs remain. Within the US, a major effort aimed at the creation and evaluation of rehabilitation technology has been the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers (RERCs) sponsored by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research. As envisioned at their conception by a panel of the National Academy of Science in 1970, these centers were intended to take a “total approach to rehabilitation”, combining medicine, engineering, and related science, to improve the quality of life of individuals with a disability. Here, we review the scope, achievements, and ongoing projects of an unbiased sample of 19 currently active or recently terminated RERCs. Specifically, for each center, we briefly explain the needs it targets, summarize key historical advances, identify emerging innovations, and consider future directions. Our assessment from this review is that the RERC program indeed involves a multidisciplinary approach, with 36 professional fields involved, although 70% of research and development staff are in engineering fields, 23% in clinical fields, and only 7% in basic science fields; significantly, 11% of the professional staff have a disability related to their research. We observe that the RERC program has substantially diversified the scope of its work since the 1970’s, addressing more types of disabilities using more technologies, and, in particular, often now focusing on information technologies. RERC work also now often views users as integrated into an interdependent society through technologies that both people with and without disabilities co-use (such as the internet, wireless communication, and architecture). In addition, RERC research has evolved to view users as able at improving outcomes through learning, exercise, and plasticity (rather than being static), which can be optimally timed. We provide examples of rehabilitation technology innovation produced by the RERCs that illustrate this increasingly diversifying scope and evolving perspective. We conclude by discussing growth opportunities and possible future directions of the RERC program

Proceedings, MSVSCC 2012

Proceedings of the 6th Annual Modeling, Simulation & Visualization Student Capstone Conference held on April 19, 2012 at VMASC in Suffolk, Virginia

Training Effects of Adaptive Emotive Responses From Animated Agents in Simulated Environments

Humans are distinct from machines in their capacity to emote, stimulate, and express emotions. Because emotions play such an important role in human interactions, human-like agents used in pedagogical roles for simulation-based training should properly reflect emotions. Currently, research concerning the development of this type of agent focuses on basic agent interface characteristics, as well as character building qualities. However, human-like agents should provide emotion-like qualities that are clearly expressed, properly synchronized, and that simulate complex, real-time interactions through adaptive emotion systems. The research conducted for this dissertation was a quantitative investigation using 3 (within) x 2 (between) x 3 (within) factorial design. A total of 56 paid participants consented to complete the study. Independent variables included emotion intensity (i.e., low, moderate, and high emotion), levels of expertise (novice participant versus experienced participant), and number of trials. Dependent measures included visual attention, emotional response towards the animated agents, simulation performance score, and learners\u27 perception of the pedagogical agent persona while participants interacted with a pain assessment and management simulation. While no relationships were indicated between the levels of emotion intensity portrayed by the animated agents and the participants\u27 visual attention, emotional response towards the animated agent, and simulation performance score, there were significant relationships between the level of expertise of the participant and the visual attention, emotional responses, and performance outcomes. The results indicated that nursing students had higher visual attention during their interaction with the animated agents. Additionally, nursing students expressed more neutral facial expression whereas experienced nurses expressed more emotional facial expressions towards the animated agents. The results of the simulation performance scores indicated that nursing students obtained higher performance scores in the pain assessment and management task than experienced nurses. Both groups of participants had a positive perception of the animated agents persona

Outils et modèles collaboratifs pour la gestion des tensions dans les services des urgences pédiatriques

In the healthcare production management systems, the control of the patient flows and the anticipation of the tensions are major issues. Due to the increasing the crowding situations and their consequences, there is an ever increasing emphasis on the ability of the actors in hospital and healthcare pathways to manage the patient health care process. They must be able to control the crowding (peaks of activities, congestion of services) that are related to patient and healthcare processes flows. However, decision makers do not have sufficient methodologies and decision support tools adapted for controlling the patient flows.This thesis aims to investigate and develop modeling, optimization and implementation of a Support System to improve the care of patients in normal situation and crowding situation in Services Pediatric Emergencies (SUP) of the Lille University Hospital. The objective of this thesis is to propose appropriate solutions to the SUP to improve care for patients in terms of wait times. We therefore modeled the process of care for patients by Workflow approach to identify malfunctions in the SUP near the modeling phase; we proposed a resolution of agent-based architecture to optimize scheduling patient flow and significantly decrease their waiting time during periods of tension. Then we studied a dynamic process orchestration workflow by agents to reduce the expectations of patients running time. This thesis is conducted under the ANR HOST project in collaboration with the Lille University Hospital SUP. The simulation results highlight the contribution of the alliance between the multi-agent systems and optimization for decision supportDans la gestion des systèmes de production de soins, la maîtrise des flux hospitaliers et l'anticipation des tensions sont des enjeux majeurs. Les acteurs du secteur hospitalier et des filières de soins doivent maîtriser des tensions telles les pics d'activités et les engorgements de services qui sont liées aux flux des patients et aux flux des processus de soins. Ils sont toutefois démunis en méthodologies et outils d'aide à la décision et de pilotage adaptés. Cette thèse a pour but d’étudier et de développer la modélisation, l'optimisation et la mise en œuvre d'un Système d’Aide à l’amélioration de la prise en charge des patients en mode normal et en mode tension dans les Services des Urgences Pédiatriques (SUP) du CHRU de Lille. L’objectif de cette thèse est de proposer des solutions appropriées au SUP permettant d’améliorer la prise en charge des patients en termes de temps d’attente. Nous avons donc modélisé le processus de prise en charge des patients par l’approche Workflow afin d’identifier les dysfonctionnements au SUP près cette phase de modélisation, nous avons proposé une architecture de résolution à base d’agents afin d’optimiser l’ordonnancement des flux patients et diminuer considérablement leur temps d’attente en périodes des tensions. Ensuite nous avons étudié une démarche d’orchestration dynamique du Workflow par les agents afin de réduire les temps d’attentes des patients en cours d’exécution. Cette these est menée dans le cadre du projet ANR HOST avec la collaboration du SUP de CHRU de Lille. Les résultats des simulations mettent en exergue l’apport de l’alliance entre les systèmes multi-agent et l’optimisation pour l’aide à la décision

Système collaboratif d'aide à l'ordonnancement et à l'orchestration des tâches de soins à compétences muiltiples

Health care systems management and the avoidance of overcrowding phenomena are major issues. The aim of this thesis is to implement a Collaborative Support System for Scheduling and Orchestration (CSSystSO) of multi-skill health care tasks in order to avoid areas bottlenecks in the Pediatric Emergency Department (PED) and improve health care quality for patients. The CSSystSO integrates a collaborative Workflow approach to model patient journey in order to identify dysfunctions and peaks of activities of medical staff in the PED. The dynamic and uncertain aspect of the problem has led us to adopt an alliance between Multi-Agent Systems (MAS) and Evolutionary Algorithms (EA) for health care tasks treatment and scheduling taking into account the level of experience of the PED actors and their availabilities. In case of perturbations in the PED, a coalition of agents is formed to collaborate and negotiate in order to provide orchestration Workflow decisions to minimize the waiting time of patients during their treatment. The experimental results presented in this thesis justify the interest of the alliance between MAS and Metaheuristics to manage overcrowding phenomena in the PED. This work belongs to the project HOST (Hôpital: Optimisation, Simulation et évitement des tensions). (http://www.agence-nationale-recherche.fr/?Projet=ANR-11-TECS-0010).Dans la gestion des systèmes de soins, la maîtrise des flux hospitaliers et l’anticipation des tensions sont des enjeux majeurs. Le but de cette thèse est de contribuer à l’étude et au développement d’un Système Collaboratif d’Aide à l’Ordonnancement et à l’Orchestration (SysCAOO) des tâches de soins à compétences multiples pour gérer les tensions dans les Services d’Urgences Pédiatriques (SUP) afin d’améliorer la qualité de prise en charge des patients. Le SysCAOO intègre une approche Workflow collaboratif pour modéliser le parcours patient afin d’identifier les dysfonctionnements et les pics d’activités du personnel médical dans le SUP. L’aspect dynamique et incertain du problème nous a conduits à adopter une alliance entre les Systèmes Multi-Agent (SMA) et les Algorithmes Evolutionnaires (AE) pour le traitement et l’ordonnancement des tâches de soins en tenant compte du niveau d’expérience des acteurs du SUP et leurs disponibilités. En cas d’aléas dans le SUP, une coalition d’agents se forme pour collaborer et négocier afin de proposer des décisions d’orchestration du Workflow et minimiser le temps d’attente des patients en cours de leur prise en charge. Les résultats expérimentaux présentés dans cette thèse justifient l’intérêt de l’alliance entre les SMA et les Métaheuristiques afin de gérer les tensions dans le SUP. Les travaux de recherche présentés dans cette thèse s’intègrent dans le cadre du projet HOST (Hôpital : Optimisation, Simulation et évitement des tensions) (http://www.agence-nationale-recherche.fr/?Projet=ANR-11-TECS-0010)

Evidence-based design utilized in hospital architecture and changing the design process: a hospital case study

As a new paradigm in healthcare design in the 21st century, evidence-based design (EBD) has played a critical role in the changing hospital architectural design process and shaping new images of hospital architecture. Evidence-based design is research informed, and its results affect not only patients' clinical outcomes but also medical facility operational efficiency and its staff retention and satisfaction. This research investigated how EBD was implemented in hospital architectural design and how traditional design process was modified to incorporate credible research evidence through a case study at Grand River Hospital in the United States. This study took a qualitative approach with grounded theory methodology. The methods used for this research were multiple sources of data collection through document reviews, observations, and interviews. Findings revealed that the investigation for EBD needs to focus on environment-behavior studies especially in the development of explanatory theory. This study also recommended a modified cyclical design process model for integrating EBD. This redefined design process model requires collaborations with all stakeholders by adding visioning sessions, multiple design charrettes, mock-ups, and the functional performance evaluation to help to implement research evidence and make design decisions to achieve the best possible outcomes