A structured analysis of operations and supply chaing management research in healthcare (1982-2011)

As the operations management (OM) and supply chain management (SCM) field has evolved, a greater emphasis on services has emerged. The healthcare industry represents an important sector within services, however, little is known about the current state of research into healthcare OM and SCM. The purpose of this research is to conduct a structured analysis of OM and SCM studies conducted in healthcare and inform three key questions: (1) what are the primary topics or themes in the extant healthcare OM and SCM literature, (2) what are the prevalent methodological approaches employed in healthcare OM and SCM, and (3) what does the future of OM and SCM research in healthcare hold?

The questions are informed via a structured analysis of healthcare papers published between 1982 and 2011 in seven esteemed scholarly journal outlets in the OM and SCM field—Decision Sciences Journal, International Journal of Operations and Production Management, International Journal of Production Economics, Journal of Operations Management, Journal of Supply Chain Management, Production and Operations Management, and Supply Chain Management: An International Journal. Through screening 9979 papers, and carefully analyzing the literature, this study makes at least four important contributions by: (1) using quantitative methods to identify the current investigatory themes, (2) quantifying methodological trends, (3) providing a qualitative narrative description of the top research themes, and 4) qualitatively describing directions for future research.