Analytical methods for calculating the capacity required to operate an effective booked admissions policy for elective inpatient services.
In the UK, hospitals are being encouraged to introduce booked admissions policies for elective inpatient services whereby patients are given a date for hospital admission months in advance rather than being put on a waiting list and then informed of their admission date at short notice. We address the question of what level of capacity is required to operate such a system if cancellations of booked elective patients are to be kept to a low level. Methods are presented for quantifying the day to day variation in bed demand due to emergency admissions, patient initiated cancellations and variable lengths of stay amongst patients.
Utley
Martin
M
Clinical Operational Research Unit, University College London, Grower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
Gallivan
Steve
S
Treasure
Tom
T
Valencia
Oswaldo
O
D000289:Admitting Department, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D001509:Bed Occupancy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006779:Hospitals, Public / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015233:Models, Statistical; D016134:Organizational Policy; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D011336:Probability; D013222:State Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006113:United Kingdom