Location
Hilton Hawaiian Village, Honolulu, Hawaii
Event Website
https://hicss.hawaii.edu/
Start Date
3-1-2024 12:00 AM
End Date
6-1-2024 12:00 AM
Description
We examine the queueing performance of a real-time capacity-balancing (CB) algorithm for routing patients from the Emergency Department (ED) to an Observation Unit (OU) or to an inpatient ward. We study the significance of relative bed capacities between the ward and the OU. OUs are designed for specific patient types, with shorter expected hospital stays. By redirecting patients and reserving OU capacity for those who benefit most, overall hospital stay durations are reduced. However, high ward utilization may cause longer ED waiting times. To prevent ED crowding, implementing a CB algorithm requires careful analysis of ward and OU long-run utilization.
Recommended Citation
Tilson, Vera; Xiao, Shiya; Pachamanova, Dessislava; and Dwyer-Matzky, Keely, "Capacity Balancing Algorithm for Placement of Observation Patients: Assessing the Effect on ED Crowding" (2024). Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences 2024 (HICSS-57). 11.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/hicss-57/hc/process/11
Capacity Balancing Algorithm for Placement of Observation Patients: Assessing the Effect on ED Crowding
Hilton Hawaiian Village, Honolulu, Hawaii
We examine the queueing performance of a real-time capacity-balancing (CB) algorithm for routing patients from the Emergency Department (ED) to an Observation Unit (OU) or to an inpatient ward. We study the significance of relative bed capacities between the ward and the OU. OUs are designed for specific patient types, with shorter expected hospital stays. By redirecting patients and reserving OU capacity for those who benefit most, overall hospital stay durations are reduced. However, high ward utilization may cause longer ED waiting times. To prevent ED crowding, implementing a CB algorithm requires careful analysis of ward and OU long-run utilization.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/hicss-57/hc/process/11