» Articles » PMID: 19305770

Reducing Wait Times Through Operations Research: Optimizing the Use of Surge Capacity

Overview
Journal Healthc Policy
Specialty Public Health
Date 2009 Mar 24
PMID 19305770
Citations 11
Authors
Affiliations
Soon will be listed here.
Abstract

Widespread public demand for improved access, political pressure for shorter wait times, a stretched workforce, an aging population and overutilized equipment and facilities challenge healthcare leaders to adopt new management approaches. This paper highlights the significant benefits that can be achieved by applying operations research (OR) methods to healthcare management. It shows how queuing theory provides managers with insights into the causes for excessive wait times and the relationship between wait times and capacity. It provides a case study of the use of several OR methods, including Markov decision processes, linear programming and simulation, to optimize the scheduling of patients with multiple priorities. The study shows that by applying this approach, wait time targets can be attained with the judicious use of surge capacity in the form of overtime. It concludes with some policy insights.

Citing Articles

Surgical System Efficiency and Operative Productivity in Public and Private Health Facilities in Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Evaluation.

Sibhatu M, Getachew E, Bete D, Gebreegziabher S, Kumsa T, Shagre M Glob Health Sci Pract. 2024; .

PMID: 38336477 PMC: 10906560. DOI: 10.9745/GHSP-D-22-00277.


Enhancement of Intra-hospital patient transfer in medical center hospital using discrete event system simulation.

Meephu E, Arwatchananukul S, Aunsri N PLoS One. 2023; 18(4):e0282592.

PMID: 37068093 PMC: 10109477. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0282592.


Cancer Clinic Redesign: Opportunities for Resource Optimization.

Fung-Kee-Fung M, Ozer R, Davies B, Pick S, Duke K, Stewart D Curr Oncol. 2022; 29(6):3983-3995.

PMID: 35735427 PMC: 9222188. DOI: 10.3390/curroncol29060318.


Lose Weight to Donate: Development of a Program to Optimize Potential Donors With Hepatic Steatosis or Obesity for Living Liver Donation.

Rose J, Vargas P, Seay T, Pesch A, Williams T, Sites A Transplant Direct. 2021; 7(6):e702.

PMID: 34056077 PMC: 8154492. DOI: 10.1097/TXD.0000000000001161.


How long are Canadians waiting to access specialty care? Retrospective study from a primary care perspective.

Liddy C, Moroz I, Affleck E, Boulay E, Cook S, Crowe L Can Fam Physician. 2020; 66(6):434-444.

PMID: 32532727 PMC: 7292524.


References
1.
Blendon R, Schoen C, DesRoches C, Osborn R, Scoles K, Zapert K . Inequities in health care: a five-country survey. Health Aff (Millwood). 2002; 21(3):182-91. DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.21.3.182. View

2.
Odegaard F, Chen L, Quee R, Puterman M . Improving the efficiency of hospital porter services, part 1: study objectives and results. J Healthc Qual. 2007; 29(1):4-11. DOI: 10.1111/j.1945-1474.2007.tb00169.x. View

3.
Willcox S, Seddon M, Dunn S, Tudor Edwards R, Pearse J, Tu J . Measuring and reducing waiting times: a cross-national comparison of strategies. Health Aff (Millwood). 2007; 26(4):1078-87. DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.26.4.1078. View

4.
Santibanez P, Begen M, Atkins D . Surgical block scheduling in a system of hospitals: an application to resource and wait list management in a British Columbia health authority. Health Care Manag Sci. 2007; 10(3):269-82. DOI: 10.1007/s10729-007-9019-6. View