Study on man power planning of hospital transportation department by using VRPSTW

Abstract

This paper concerns our use of a Vehicle Routing Problem with Soft Time Window (VRPSTW) model to solve hospital patient transportation assignment problems. A model of multi-objective programming for the hospital staff assignment is set up to minimize the transportation cost (over distances that patients are moved), and penalties are imposed (i.e., punishment for not meeting patient treatment location time windows). We propose a GA-based Heuristic problem solving technique to solve the problem. Our approach improves the efficiency of patient transportation staff assignment, which reduces cost, and meets satisfactory time constraints as shown in practical cases. Furthermore, we developed a Staffing Assignments Decision Support System (SADSS) to facilitate patient transport assignment.

Keywords:

• VRPSTW
• genetic algorithm (GA)
• decision support system (DSS)
• multi-objective programming
• hospital
• transportation
• assignment