title: Design and validation of a critical care simulation model.
abstract: The high costs of building, equipping, and staffing critical care beds, coupled with more restrictive reimbursement policies, are forcing hospital administrators to seek ways for determining accurately the number of critical care beds needed. Existing critical care bedsizing models do not capture the complexity of today's critical care environment, nor have they been formally validated using actual hospital performance data. The study described herein was designed to address these needs. A GPSS/H simulation model was developed and validated, and includes the flow of patients through the study hospital's operating rooms, post-anesthesia recovery unit, three intensive care units, and two intermediate care (stepdown) units.
authors.affiliation: Great Lakes Health Services Research & Development Field Program, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Lowery
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Martin
mesh_terms: D001509:Bed Occupancy; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003422:Critical Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003660:Decision Support Systems, Management; D006302:Health Services Research; D006764:Hospitals, Community / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007902:Length of Stay; D008824:Michigan; D012107:Research Design