Resoundingly Human

Imagine a world where you could access your healthcare data the same way you access your financial data. A world where you get notifications on your iPhone when lab test results are ready and where you can use third party apps to seamlessly track chronic conditions. That world now exists thanks to the health data standard recently mandated by the federal government. Joining me to shed some light on the role that operations research is playing in this development are IBM data scientists Dr. Nasim Lari and Will Rosenfeld, both members of the INFORMS Washington, D.C. chapter, where Nasim serves as president.

We are living in an increasingly digital world. Never has this been more apparent than our current reality of social distancing, as we are forced to commit to conducting more and more of our daily lives online, from business meetings, to shopping, to interacting with our families. In this new normal, questions and concerns regarding maintaining the security and privacy of our data have moved even further into the spotlight.

For this episode I am joined by Rachel Cummings, professor in the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Georgia Tech to discuss the relationship between data security and data privacy, how O.R. and analytics help organizations from banks to hospitals to our own government maintain the security and privacy of our data. We’ll also talk about the importance of sharing data, focusing on the current coronavirus pandemic and the 2020 U.S. Census.

Many of us might admit that it can take us a bit of time to get into the swing of things on a Monday morning. This is often referred to as a case of "The Mondays" or the "Monday Blues." But does the same hold true for businesses as a whole, with significant performance variations occurring based on what day of the week it is? 

To take a deeper dive into this topic, I am joined by Oliver Yao, professor and association dean of graduate programs of the College of Business at Lehigh University to discuss his research recently published in the INFORMS journal Information Systems Research. His study, titled “’Monday Effect’ on Performance Variations in Supply Chain Fulfillment: How Information Technology Enabled Procurement May Help,” looks at how supply chain functionality is impacted on a day-by-day basis, and how organizations can lessen these variations.  

Many of us rely on YouTube for instruction on a wide range of interest areas, from beauty tutorials, to a new recipe, to basic DIY home improvement projects, and more. But what if YouTube tutorials could improve our lives in a different way, by helping us better understand and manage our health and wellness?

Joining me for this episode is Rema Padman, trustees professor of management science and healthcare informatics at Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy, whose research has identified guidelines for organizations to provide YouTube video content for individuals with chronic health conditions to help them better manage their diagnoses.

Last October I was joined by Norman Reitter, chief analytics officer and senior VP of analytics operations at CANA Advisors, to discuss the INFORMS Analytics Maturity Model, and how it is helping organizations of all sizes evaluate their analytics capabilities. In this episode, we will continue this conversation by exploring the new INFORMS Analytics Capability Evaluation (ACE) Coaching Program, which was developed to engage and assist organizations in developing and enhancing their analytics capabilities with the help of specially trained coaching experts.

I am joined once again by Norman Reitter, as well as Dave Saranchak, research fellow at Concurrent Technologies Corporation. Norm and Dave, who in addition to leading the ACE Subcommittee, completed two rounds of research of analytics models, developed the ACE Coaching curriculum and held the inaugural, pilot ACE Coaching class earlier this spring, and are now working to set up their first organizational assessment and schedule additional coaching classes.

From EMTs and hospital staff, to firefighters and police, our first responders are continuing to provide essential and often life-saving services to protect our health and security, despite serving on the front lines of the pandemic response.

I’m joined by Laura Albert, professor of industrial & systems engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, to discuss her research regarding emergency response during mass casualty incidents, and how operations research can provide valuable insight to support the efforts of our first responders. 

In the past week alone, much has occurred in regard to the growing impact of the coronavirus, or COVID-19, in the U.S. As the number of confirmed cases of the virus across the country continues to increase, travel to the U.S. from Europe has been significantly restricted and state and local governments are taking equally assertive precautions. In the INFORMS home state of Maryland alone, the governor has issued a state of emergency that includes closing schools and other public institutions, banning large gatherings, and instructing people to isolate themselves from others. 

As these restrictions take effect, and people nationwide prepare to sequester themselves and their families for an extended period of time, store shelves are being emptied of essential items. As we look ahead with uncertainty as to how long the coronavirus will continue to be a threat, and the growing potential for supply chain disruptions, concern is building regarding further shortages.

To discuss how the coronavirus is impacting supply chains world-wide, I am joined by Tinglong Dai, who is an Associate Professor of Operations Management and Business Analytics at the Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School; and Sridhar Tayur, who is an INFORMS Fellow, University Professor of Operations Management at the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University, and Founder of SmartOps and OrganJet. 

In a single year, abuse of illegal and prescription drugs costs the U.S. an estimated $271.5 billion, due to increased healthcare costs, crime and lost productivity. Not to mention the growing risk of overdose and death as increasingly potent substances, like fentanyl, are introduced to the market.

This is compounded by the increasing ease with which these illegal substances have become available, enabled in no small part by the internet. And these aren’t necessarily from outlets typically viewed as nefarious, like the dark web, but from sites many of us use regularly.

In this episode I am joined by Anandhi Bharadwaj, vice dean and professor with the Goizueta Business School at Emory University to discuss her research which will be published in the INFORMS journal Management Science. Her study, “Drug Abuse and the Internet: Evidence from Craigslist,” looks at the role Craigslist and similar online platforms have played in the increasing abuse of illegal and prescription drugs in the U.S.  

In December 2019, the first cases of the coronavirus were identified in Wuhan, China. As the number of infections and subsequent patient deaths has continued to rise, the struggle to treat and contain the spread of the virus has become a worldwide concern for both medical professionals and world leaders.  

For this episode I am joined by Richard Larson, post-tenure professor in the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society at the Massachusetts Institute for Technology, whose recently published article with the INFORMS magazine OR/MS Today, “The 2019-nCoV Coronavirus: Are there two routes to infection?” looks at the possible reasons this virus is spreading so rapidly.

When we travel to a new place, whether for long overdue vacation, a work trip, or simply a day trip someplace we’ve been meaning to check out, many of us rely on review platforms such as TripAdvisor and Yelp to help us plan our visit. In particular, we look for guidance and advice in selecting restaurants, making choices based on how previous visitors have rated their own experience.

But how accurate are these reviews really? And adding more ‘food’ for thought, how much of a role does personal bias play when it comes to these reviews, and exactly what factors contribute to that bias?

To learn about some surprising ways in which bias impacts online reviews, in this episode I am joined by Marios Kokkodis, professor with the Carroll School of Management at Boston College, whose study, “Your Hometown Matters: Popularity-Difference Bias in Online Reputation Platforms,” is slated for publication in the INFORMS journal Information Systems Research.