Title

A Model to Create an Efficient and Equitable Admission Policy for Patients Arriving to the Cardiothoracic ICU

Author

Muer Yang, University of St. Thomas, MinnesotaFollow
Michael J. Fry, University of Cincinnati - Main CampusFollow
Corey Scurlock, Mount Sinai School of MedicineFollow

Department/School

Operations and Supply Chain Management

Date of this version

2013

Document Type

Article

Keywords

queuing theory, healthcare reform, critical care, cardiothoracic surgery, bed flow, modeling

Abstract

To develop queuing and simulation-based models to understand the relationship between ICU bed availability and operating room schedule to maximize the use of critical care resources and minimize case cancellation while providing equity to patients and surgeons.

Queuing theory and computer simulation can be used to model case flow through a cardiothoracic operating room and ICU. A dynamic admission policy that looks at current waiting time and expected ICU length of stay allows for increased equity between patients with only minimum losses of efficiency. This dynamic admission policy would seem to be a superior in maximizing case-flow. These results may be generalized to other surgical ICUs.

Published in

Critical Care Medicine

Citation/Other Information

http://journals.lww.com/ccmjournal/Abstract/2013/02000/A_Model_to_Create_an_Efficient_and_Equitable.6.aspx