Modeling Healthcare System-of-Systems: A Mathematical Programming Approach

Traditional system analysis and design approaches seem insufficient to model healthcare systems, given their complexity, the presence of uncertainty, and scale. To overcome these difficulties, a system-of-systems approach is adopted. In this paper, we present a methodological framework for modeling healthcare systems and devising strategies that improve the health level of a population. The problem is formulated as a nonlinear programming model in which the objective is to optimize the population´s health level, appropriately defined, by taking into account several constraints. The resulting policies could improve the sustainability of healthcare systems, and, consequently, the well-being of people and the overall sustainability of corresponding countries.