Planning of bed capacities in specialized and integrated care units: Incorporating bed blockers in a simulation of surgical throughput

Navonil Mustafee, Terry Lyons, Paul Rees, Lee Davies, Mark Ramsey, Michael D. Williams

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

11 Scopus citations

Abstract

Simulation has been applied for the management of bed capacities in hospitals. However, the majority of these studies have ignored the application of this technique in specalized and integrated care units, where-in different wards, e.g., general ward, Intensive Therapy Unit (ITU), High Dependency Unit (HDU), are organized to provide patients differing levels of care as they progress through the treatment pathway. In this set-up, bed blocking occurs when patients that are clinically ready to be discharged from wards that provide higher levels of care (e.g., ITU) cannot be transferred to wards offering reduced care (e.g., HDU, general ward) because of the non-availability of beds in the latter wards. This has implications on throughput of clinical activity, as well as patients' cost of treatment. In this paper we investigate this problem of bed blocking through a case study being conducted at the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at Morriston Hospital, Wales (UK).

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationProceedings of the 2012 Winter Simulation Conference, WSC 2012
DOIs
StatePublished - 2012
Event2012 Winter Simulation Conference, WSC 2012 - Berlin, Germany
Duration: Dec 9 2012Dec 12 2012

Publication series

NameProceedings - Winter Simulation Conference
ISSN (Print)0891-7736

Other

Other2012 Winter Simulation Conference, WSC 2012
Country/TerritoryGermany
CityBerlin
Period12/9/1212/12/12

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Software
  • Modeling and Simulation
  • Computer Science Applications

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