title: Predicting the obstetric work-load.
abstract: The daily variation in the work-load of a maternity unit during 1982 was analysed. The data fitted the Poisson distribution quite well, which suggests that future work-loads can be predicted by this method. Other clinical data of a similar kind should be amenable to the same analysis.
mesh_terms: D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D005260:Female; D006748:Hospital Departments / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009775:Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011336:Probability; D013997:Time Factors