Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Asma Bakhtiari Tavana ¹
• Maghsoud Amiri ²
• Amir Yousefli ³
• Mohammad Taghi Taghavifard ⁴

¹ Department of Operations Management and Information Technology, Faculty of Management and Accounting, Allameh Tabataba'i University.Tehran. Iran

² Department of Operations and Information Technology Management, Faculty of Management and Accounting, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran

³ Associate Professor, Industrial Engineering Dept., Faculty of Engineering, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran.

⁴ Professor, Operations and Information Technology Management Dept., Faculty of Management and Accounting, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

The transportation of biological specimens constitutes a challenging routing problem in healthcare logistics. Due to the perishable nature of specimens, adherence to transportation requirements regarding time, temperature, and physical conditions is essential. This problem focuses on route planning and scheduling for the collection and transfer of specimens in the shortest possible time without compromising their quality. Despite the critical importance of this issue in healthcare systems and the publication of numerous studies, no systematic review has yet been conducted to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of prior research. The present study, adopting a systematic literature review approach, seeks to identify, classify, and analyze the existing body of research to highlight research gaps and underexplored topics. Accordingly, after the design of a search protocol, retrieval, and screening of articles, 32 articles were finally selected and analyzed. The findings revealed that the development of dynamic and multi-objective models, the utilization of real-time decision-making, the broader application of innovative technologies such as drones, the Internet of Things, blockchain, and big data analytics, as well as the incorporation of machine learning algorithms, are among the most significant fields that could accelerate research progress in the field of routing and scheduling for biological specimen transportation. By mapping the current state and identifying research gaps, this systematic review provides a sound scientific foundation for future studies and for enhancing the efficiency of biological specimen transportation networks.

Keywords

• Biological specimen transportation
• Routing problem
• Dynamic routing problem
• Systematic literature review

Main Subjects

• Industrial management