information systems and operations management

Black babies in the U.S. die at three times the rate of white babies, Mason professor’s research shows

Colleen Rich — Wed, 26 Aug 2020 09:00:33 +0000

Black babies in the U.S. die at three times the rate of white babies, Mason professor’s research shows Colleen Rich Wed, 08/26/2020 - 05:00

Topics

Health Care Delivery

Health Disparity

Costello College of Business

information systems and operations management

Tip Sheet

Graduation Profile: Could 3D printing change a life? This Mason senior is confident it can.

Mariam Aburdeineh — Thu, 14 May 2020 00:05:00 +0000

Graduation Profile: Could 3D printing change a life? This Mason senior is confident it can. Mariam Aburdeineh Wed, 05/13/2020 - 20:05

When Denys Kuratchenko began working at Northern Virginia Community College’s 3D printing lab in 2017, he didn’t anticipate that his projects would change lives. But the expression on a young girl’s face made him realize he could.

The lab’s director, Lawrence Nightingale, tasked Kuratchenko with creating a braille learning aid for a visually impaired child at a local middle school, Kuratchenko said. So, he 3D-printed a topographical map of Virginia.

“For her to be able to feel the ridges [and] explore the mountains with her fingertips, it meant just as much as for any of us to take a road trip and visually see [the state],” said Kuratchenko, a May 2020 graduate. “Seeing all that excitement on her face, that experience she had with something as simple as this, it was a really touching moment.”

“That’s when I realized I want to use 3D printing to help people with disabilities,” Kuratchenko said.

Since transferring to ��AV in 2018, the senior information systems and operations management major has worked at the MIX at Innovation as a maker assistant. Students, faculty and staff come in to use the equipment, including several 3D printers, and Kuratchenko assesses their needs to determine how they can best use the technology to achieve their goals.

“Having access to all of these technologies is absolutely incredible,” Kuratchenko said.

When he’s not helping the Mason community on their projects, Kuratchenko said he works on his own.

Recently Kuratchenko 3D printed a prosthetic hand to help people in need through the E-nabling the Future organization. The creation took about 40 hours of printer operation and 10 hours of assembly, he said. Though the hand is completed, he is still open to finding a recipient for it. Each request for a prosthetic limb has already been fulfilled on E-nabling the Future, he said.

Denys Kuratchenko runs a 24/7 "print farm" from his apartment to 3D print face shields for the medical community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo provided.

He has also been 3D printing face shields for the medical community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kuratchenko, who is from Ukraine and has lived in Virginia for the past five years, said he knew he wanted to attend Mason starting in high school. The university’s strong reputation and programs tailored to his interests were selling points.

“[Mason was] the only university I set my mind to,” Kuratchenko said. “I really love bringing people and technology together, so I’m really happy with Mason for offering this unique degree.”

In and out of the MIX, Kuratchenko said his experience at Mason has been impactful.

“[Mason School of Business professors are] teaching you not only by the book, but they also have experience and put effort to teach you by the field—how things work in real life—and I really appreciate them,” Kuratchenko said.

He is also grateful for the community he’s found.

Associate Director for Entrepreneurship Programs Karen Livingston and MIX Maker Manager Amanda Jarvis “have a great vision for this place and they keep pushing it forward,” Kuratchenko said. “I’m thankful to all my coworkers that make this such a good place to work and make me want to come back to work after every weekend.”

Kuratchenko, who wants to work in industrial additive manufacturing, is well on his way to great things, his mentors said.

“I think that Denys will wind up applying his enthusiasm and energy to the next phase of consumer technology,” Nightingale said. “Students like Denys, who have a good balance of technical knowledge and originality of thought, are the ones that will be making significant things happen in the future.”

Denys Kuratchenko. Photo by Lathan Goumas.

* Denys Kuratchenko is looking for a recipient for the prosthetic hand he 3D printed. If you know someone in need who may benefit from it, please email dkuratch@masonlive.gmu.edu.

Costello College of Business

information systems and operations management

Covid-19

Students

Information technology can help stem racial bias in health care decisions, Mason professor says

Colleen Rich — Wed, 22 Apr 2020 15:22:25 +0000

Information technology can help stem racial bias in health care decisions, Mason professor says Colleen Rich Wed, 04/22/2020 - 11:22

Topics

Costello College of Business

Health Care Delivery

information systems and operations management

Tip Sheet

Costello College of Business News

ISOM Faculty Research

Costello College of Business Faculty Research

Brad Greenwood

To overcome potential racial bias, physicians should use digitized protocols when making decisions about patient care, according to a research paper co-written by Brad Greenwood, an associate professor of Information Systems and Operations Management in ��AV’s School of Business.

Greenwood and his co-authors examined the role that racial bias may play in the decision to choose amputation over revascularization, which tries to restore a body part through surgery, in diabetes care. The authors found racial disparity in the decision-making process related to choosing amputation or revascularization.. However, that disparity decreased when physicians used clinical decision support systems (CDSS) in their examination of patients.

Clinical decision support systems generate a digital index of characteristics to formulate patient care recommendations. When health care providers follow digital protocols, patient care is more evenhanded across racial lines, according Greenwood and his coauthors.

“CDSS prompts physicians to ask for specific objective pieces of information from a patient, allowing a more complete picture of what each patient is experiencing,” Greenwood said.” In the absence of something formally prompting physicians to go through all the information about the patient, sometimes physicians make assumptions about their patients.”

The paper, titled “The role of decision support systems in attenuating racial biases in healthcare delivery,” is being published in “Management Science,” a peer-reviewed academic journal.

Nirup Menon, chair of Information Systems and Operations Management, said the findings could be helpful in reducing racial disparity in health care.

"Most of us think of information systems as simply making work more efficient or life more convenient,” Menon said. “This study shows that information systems, particularly clinical decision support systems in hospitals, can reduce racial disparities in decision-making. The study provides an evidence-based impetus for managers and policymakers to promote the implementation of these types of systems in clinics and hospitals.”

To reach Brad Greenwood, email him at brad.n.greenwood@gmail.com

For more information, contact Anna Stolley Persky at apersky@gmu.edu