INFORMS Releases

CATONSVILLE, MD, August 15, 2019 – If you end up needing to go to the hospital, often times you’re hoping to get a bed without having to wait hours, but a new study shows you may want to wait a little longer, so that you are placed in the best ward for your needs. New research in the INFORMS journal Management Science shows that among patients admitted to the hospital, 19.6% are placed in beds in a ward outside the area of care they require. These patients who are placed ‘off service’ end up experiencing a 23% longer hospital stay and a higher chance of being readmitted within a month.

CATONSVILLE, MD, August 13, 2019– Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh, UCLA and the University of Texas published new research in the INFORMS journal Marketing Science (Editor’s note: The source of this research is INFORMS), that reveals the power of word-of-mouth in social learning, even when compared to the power of following the example of someone we trust or admire. The same research found, however, that both word-of-mouth and following someone else’s lead are two of the most powerful dynamics in influencing others through social learning.

CATONSVILLE, MD, August 8, 2019 – More than a trillion dollars was spent on healthcare in the United States in 2018, with Medicare and Medicaid accounting for some 37% of those expenditures. With healthcare costs expected to continue to rise by roughly 5% per year, a continued debate in healthcare policy is how to reduce costs without compromising quality. 

CATONSVILLE, MD, July 29, 2019 – We’ve all been there… you’re out to eat and in need of a refill or the check and the wait staff is nowhere to be found. It slows down business, reduces customer satisfaction and hurts the bottom line. New research in the INFORMS journal Management Science shows to counter this, restaurants should introduce tabletop technology as a demonstrated way to improve service and satisfaction.

CATONSVILLE, MD, July 17, 2019 – The recent wave of recreational cannabis legalization across the U.S. could generate $22 billion in sales per year, but not everyone is happy about it. New research in the INFORMS journal Marketing Science shows the alcohol industry could be impacted when the substance is legalized.