A Bibliometric Analysis and Visualization of Decision Support Systems for Healthcare Referral Strategies

Hesham Ali Behary Aboelkhir, Adel Elomri (), Tarek Y. ElMekkawy, Laoucine Kerbache, Mohamed S. Elakkad, Abdulla Al-Ansari, Omar M. Aboumarzouk and Abdelfatteh El Omri ()
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Hesham Ali Behary Aboelkhir: College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha 34110, Qatar
Adel Elomri: College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha 34110, Qatar
Tarek Y. ElMekkawy: Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar
Laoucine Kerbache: College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha 34110, Qatar
Mohamed S. Elakkad: Surgical Research Section, Department of Surgery, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha 3050, Qatar
Abdulla Al-Ansari: Surgical Research Section, Department of Surgery, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha 3050, Qatar
Omar M. Aboumarzouk: Surgical Research Section, Department of Surgery, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha 3050, Qatar
Abdelfatteh El Omri: Surgical Research Section, Department of Surgery, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha 3050, Qatar

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 24, 1-27

Abstract: Background: The referral process is an important research focus because of the potential consequences of delays, especially for patients with serious medical conditions that need immediate care, such as those with metastatic cancer. Thus, a systematic literature review of recent and influential manuscripts is critical to understanding the current methods and future directions in order to improve the referral process. Methods: A hybrid bibliometric-structured review was conducted using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Searches were conducted of three databases, Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed, in addition to the references from the eligible papers. The papers were considered to be eligible if they were relevant English articles or reviews that were published from January 2010 to June 2021. The searches were conducted using three groups of keywords, and bibliometric analysis was performed, followed by content analysis. Results: A total of 163 papers that were published in impactful journals between January 2010 and June 2021 were selected. These papers were then reviewed, analyzed, and categorized as follows: descriptive analysis ( n = 77), cause and effect ( n = 12), interventions ( n = 50), and quality management ( n = 24). Six future research directions were identified. Conclusions: Minimal attention was given to the study of the primary referral of blood cancer cases versus those with solid cancer types, which is a gap that future studies should address. More research is needed in order to optimize the referral process, specifically for suspected hematological cancer patients.

Keywords: healthcare referral; medical transfer; quality of care; patient pathways; decision support systems; operations management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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