Intro to Healthcare Systems Engineering - 655.662

This course introduces students to the fundamental principles of healthcare systems engineering and their application to the development of complex systems. It describes how the systems engineering viewpoint differs from that of the healthcare provider, as well as the essential role that systems engineering plays as an integral component of program management. Topics include integrated systems engineering life cycle purpose and constructs, delineation of different complex system types, requirements analysis, concept definition, system synthesis, design trade-offs, risk assessment, interface definition, engineering design, system integration, and related systems engineering activities. The course defines the breadth and depth of the knowledge that the healthcare systems engineer must acquire concerning the characteristics of the diverse components that constitute the total system. Special topics such as architectures, interfaces, simulation and models, and test and evaluation are discussed in relation to the healthcare systems engineering viewpoint. Students address typical systems engineering problems that highlight important healthcare issues and methods of technical problem resolution.