title: A prospective study to assess the demand for a high dependency unit.
abstract: We performed a prospective study in our teaching hospital to determine the demand for a High Dependency Unit where none had existed before. An admission criteria protocol was designed for medical and surgical patients and this was used in an intense surveillance of 22 acute wards over 2 weeks. It was predicted that a high dependency unit of eight beds would operate to capacity 50% of the time. An analysis of this type over a short period of time using similar admission criteria could be used to assist in the prediction of the necessary size of a High Dependency Unit facility in any hospital.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Anaesthesia, University Hospital, Nottingham.
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Leeson-Payne
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Aitkenhead
mesh_terms: D001509:Bed Occupancy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004739:England; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010343:Patient Admission; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016526:Workload / Q000706:statistics & numerical data