DOI
https://doi.org/10.25772/36VS-HN86
Defense Date
2022
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Department
Mathematical Sciences
First Advisor
David Chan, PhD
Abstract
Hospitals play a vital role in providing for the healthcare needs of a community. Patients can develop hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) during their hospitalization due to exposure to foreign bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Infection prevention programs target and reduce HAIs, but implementing the infection prevention programs often comes with a cost. The goal of my research is to use mathematical models to quantify the impact of infection prevention programs on cases of HAIs and total healthcare costs. First, I use a Markov chain model to quantify how one infection prevention program reduces general HAIs in the hospital. Then, I calculate the impact of resistance by healthcare leaders to implement two infection prevention techniques on two HAIs in the hospital. I used ordinary differential equations to quantify the timing of initiation and termination of two infection prevention programs within a region divided into two components to understand how a community intervention and a localized intervention affect the peak number of infections in an epidemic. Finally, I used an agent-based model to quantify the impact of one specific infection prevention program on one HAI in one ward within the hospital. Overall, my research supports implementing the specific infection prevention programs examined to reduce the burden on healthcare systems and improve patient outcomes.
Rights
© Kelly A. Reagan
Is Part Of
VCU University Archives
Is Part Of
VCU Theses and Dissertations
Date of Submission
5-12-2022
Included in
Community Health and Preventive Medicine Commons, Other Applied Mathematics Commons, Other Public Health Commons, Patient Safety Commons