In this module, Prof. Terwiesch explains foundational concepts of health care operations and ways to use them to optimize health care delivery. You will examine the provider-patient relationship and learn how a different types of performance metrics can improve patient-facing performance measures. You will enumerate various types of inefficiency, such as waste, variability, and inflexibility. You will learn techniques to optimize performance and service by gauging flow rate, flow time, and inventory. And you will learn to map health care processes. By the end of this module, you will be equipped to analyze the financial viability of a health care provider using and create a framework to assess and optimize performance.

In this module, Drs. Neha Patel and Lee Fleisher define value, survey methods for assessing value and quality, and introduce the organizations that set quality standards. Dr. Fleisher and guest presenter Dr. Amber Bird explain the importance of health equity and social determinants of health in determining quality of care, patient experience, and patient outcomes. Dr. Fleisher also examines acute care at home, and opportunities for artificial intelligence.