title: Adaptive decisions in the use of hospital beds.
abstract: This article investigates the manner by which a physician adapts his decision on referral to hospital and length of hospital stay to variations in the pressure (access) to hospital beds. An index of adaptation is developed which measures the adaptation to pressure from standard bed-use statistics. An example of the index is given for psychiatric bed use in Canada.
mesh_terms: D001509:Bed Occupancy; D002170:Canada; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006742:Hospital Bed Capacity; D006761:Hospitals / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D010343:Patient Admission; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D012017:Referral and Consultation