System complexity as a measure of safe capacity for the emergency department.
OBJECTIVE
System complexity is introduced as a new measure of system state for the emergency department (ED). In its original form, the measure quantifies the uncertainty of demands on system resources. For application in the ED, the measure is being modified to quantify both workload and uncertainty to produce a single integrated measure of system state.


METHODS
Complexity is quantified using an information-theoretic or entropic approach developed in manufacturing and operations research. In its original form, complexity is calculated on the basis of four system parameters: 1) the number of resources (clinicians and processing entities such as radiology and laboratory systems), 2) the number of possible work states for each resource, 3) the probability that a resource is in a particular work state, and 4) the probability of queue changes (i.e., where a queue is defined by the number of patients or patient orders being managed by a resource) during a specified time period.


RESULTS
An example is presented to demonstrate how complexity is calculated and interpreted for a simple system composed of three resources (i.e., emergency physicians) managing varying patient loads. The example shows that variation in physician work states and patient queues produces different scores of complexity for each physician. It also illustrates how complexity and workload differ.


CONCLUSIONS
System complexity is a viable and technically feasible measurement for monitoring and managing surge capacity in the ED.
France
Daniel J
DJ
Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232-7115, USA. dan.france@vanderbilt.edu
Levin
Scott
S
D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000523:psychology*; D003441:Crowding; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D010819:Physician's Role; D016526:Workload / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*