Health care management science
-
Health Care Manag Sci · Mar 2014
Estimating the waiting time of multi-priority emergency patients with downstream blocking.
To characterize the coupling effect between patient flow to access the emergency department (ED) and that to access the inpatient unit (IU), we develop a model with two connected queues: one upstream queue for the patient flow to access the ED and one downstream queue for the patient flow to access the IU. Building on this patient flow model, we employ queueing theory to estimate the average waiting time across patients. ⋯ Finally, we investigate how an alternative way of accessing ED (Fast Track) impacts the average waiting time of patients as well as the necessary number of ED/IU resources. This model as well as the analysis on patient flow can help the designer or manager of a hospital make decisions on the allocation of ED/IU resources in a hospital.
-
Health Care Manag Sci · Dec 2013
A system model of work flow in the patient room of hospital emergency department.
Modeling and analysis of patient flow in hospital emergency department (ED) is of significant importance. In a hospital ED, the patients spend most of their time in the patient room and most of the care delivery services are carried out during this time period. ⋯ A closed and re-entrant process model is developed to characterize the care service activities in the patient room with limited resources of doctors, nurses, and diagnosis tests. Analytical calculation of patient's length of stay in the patient room is derived, and monotonic properties with respect to care service parameters are investigated.
-
Health Care Manag Sci · Dec 2012
Simulation optimization of PSA-threshold based prostate cancer screening policies.
We describe a simulation optimization method to design PSA screening policies based on expected quality adjusted life years (QALYs). Our method integrates a simulation model in a genetic algorithm which uses a probabilistic method for selection of the best policy. ⋯ The best policy generated by our algorithm is compared to previously recommended screening policies. Using the policies determined by our model, we present evidence that patients should be screened more aggressively but for a shorter length of time than previously published guidelines recommended.
-
Health Care Manag Sci · Dec 2012
Decision support system for the operating room rescheduling problem.
Due to surgery duration variability and arrivals of emergency surgeries, the planned Operating Room (OR) schedule is disrupted throughout the day which may lead to a change in the start time of the elective surgeries. These changes may result in undesirable situations for patients, wards or other involved departments, and therefore, the OR schedule has to be adjusted. In this paper, we develop a decision support system (DSS) which assists the OR manager in this decision by providing the three best adjusted OR schedules. ⋯ By applying this ILP to instances from practice, we determined that the given preferences mainly lead to (i) shifting a surgery and (ii) scheduling a break between two surgeries. By using these changes in the DSS, the performed simulation study shows that less surgeries are canceled and patients and wards are more satisfied, but also that the perceived workload of several departments increases to compensate this. The system can also be used to judge the acceptability of a proposed initial OR schedule.
-
Health Care Manag Sci · Sep 2012
Resource planning for ambulance services in mass casualty incidents: a DES-based policy model.
Due to an increasing number of mass casualty incidents, which are generally complex and unique in nature, we suggest that decision makers consider operations research-based policy models to help prepare emergency staff for improved planning and scheduling at the emergency site. We thus develop a discrete-event simulation policy model, which is currently being applied by disaster-responsive ambulance services in Austria. By evaluating realistic scenarios, our policy model is shown to enhance the scheduling and outcomes at operative and online levels. ⋯ Furthermore, the organization of an advanced medical post can be improved on a strategic level to increase rescue quality, including enhanced survival of injured victims. In particular, we consider a realistic mass casualty incident at a brewery relative to other exemplary disasters. Based on a variety of such situations, we derive general policy implications at both the macro (e.g., strategic rescue policy) and micro (e.g., operative and online scheduling strategies at the emergency site) levels.