Algorithms: Not Evil, Helpful
Whether or not you have an analytics background, in this digital age algorithms are everywhere… in how ambulances determine their route to the hospital, in elections… you name it.
The INFORMS Analytics+ Conference showcased how companies are turning advanced analytics and AI into measurable operational results
In most emergency departments, beds are a hot commodity. But some patients don’t actually need a bed for their treatment – and accurately identifying those people is a low-lift but effective way to increase efficiency without sacrificing care quality, finds a study recently published in the journal Management Science.
The researchers developed a simple decision tree, informed by mathematical and machine learning models, to help staff decide whether a patient truly needs a bed or can be routed to a “vertical processing pathway” – that is, an area where they can be treated sitting up. Many hospitals already have such an area but don’t necessarily have a systematic way to decide which patients are treated there.
American teenagers start their school day too early.
Medical experts have been clear for years: sleep cycle changes during puberty make it hard for teenagers to learn in the early morning. Later school start times have been linked to better sleep, improved mental health, stronger academic performance and even safer driving.
Most school district leaders know about this problem and care about fixing it. But changing the schedule can feel operationally impossible.
An audio journey of how data and analytics save lives, save money and solve problems.

Jeff Cohen
Chief Strategy Officer
INFORMS
Catonsville, MD
[email protected]
443-757-3565
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Whether or not you have an analytics background, in this digital age algorithms are everywhere… in how ambulances determine their route to the hospital, in elections… you name it.
INFORMS member Dean Hartley discusses his article "Persuasion Wars, Part 1," featured in the June issue of OR/MS Today magazine, which explores the history of the science of persuasion.
Given the scale of the world’s food supply, there aren’t many industries that lend themselves to the power of data science and analytics than agriculture. This is the thinking behind a new research paper from a group of data scientists who make a case for finding new ways to use blockchain, AI and API management to enable “smart agriculture.” The paper, “Agricultural Digital Transformation,” has been published in the OR/MS Today journal from the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS).
Dr. Sheldon Jacobson was interviewed on Costal Daybreak about algorithmic redistricting in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision to send the issue of congressional redistricting back to the States.
A paper in the INFORMS journal of Organization Science find the gender pay gap lessens among university presidents at prestigious universities.

OR/MS Today is the INFORMS member magazine that shares the latest research and best practices in operations research, analytics and the management sciences.
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Analytics magazine showcases articles and research reports based on big data, AI, machine learning, data analytics and other new-age technologies.
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