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Type of Document Dissertation Author Levin, Scott R Author's Email Address scott.r.levin@vanderbilt.edu URN etd-03152008-165339 Title Applying Systems Engineering Tools to Measure and Improve Hospital-Based Health Care Delivery Degree PhD Department Biomedical Engineering Advisory Committee
Advisor Name Title Daniel J. France Committee Chair Matthew B. Weinger Committee Member Paul H. King Committee Member Richard G. Shiavi Committee Member Robert S. Dittus Committee Member Robin R. Hemphill Committee Member Keywords
- discrete event simulation
- emergency department crowding
Date of Defense 2008-01-10 Availability unrestricted Abstract Patient safety and emergency department functionality are compromised when inefficient coordination between hospital departments impedes ED patients’ access to inpatient cardiac care. The objective of this dissertation was to create a discrete event simulation model of hospital patient flow in order to determine how bed demand from competing cardiology admission sources affects ED patients’ access to inpatient cardiac care. The simulation employed survival analysis regression to model competition for inpatient cardiac beds and predict delays in ED patients’ access. The novel simulation strategy was used to demonstrate how altering outpatient schedules and creating informed bed management practices can optimize hospital capacity and improve ED patient access and how interventions designed to increase inpatient throughput or add capacity will have the most significant effect on highest priority patients.Files
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