title: Parameters affecting hospital occupancy and implications for facility sizing.
abstract: Simulation is used to investigate the effects on hospital occupancy of the number of beds in the facility, the percentage of patients who are emergencies, the percentage of elective patients who are scheduled, and the average lengths of stay of emergency and elective patients. A practical method is presented for estimating the optimum size of a short-term hospital on the basis of expected demand, and use of the results in planning is discussed.
mesh_terms: D000289:Admitting Department, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D001509:Bed Occupancy; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D006276:Health Facility Size / Q000592:standards*; D006742:Hospital Bed Capacity; D006748:Hospital Departments / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006752:Hospital Planning; D007902:Length of Stay; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009874:Operations Research; D010343:Patient Admission