Evaluating the effects of resource allocations in hospital emergency departments by patient flow analysis

Abstract: Accounting for some the highest arrival rates and widest varieties of medical conditions in a hospital, the emergency department is highly dependent on efficient operations strategies in order to function effectively and provide qualitative health care. This is especially true for the emergency department of Karolinska University Hospital in Huddinge from which real patient data has been obtained. In attempting to improve service levels, current operational structures are evaluated and several different scenarios are simulated mathematically in this study. After validating the adequacy of modeling the emergency department as a Jackson Network, the network is simulated for various combinations of patient flow parameters enabling the study of the effects of resource allocation strategies. The results indicate that the current organization of, and resources available to, the emergency department leaves room for improvement in terms of service levels. Resource levels needed for specific target levels of service are found and the optimal allocations of resources is discussed. Additionally, a brief literature review of operations strategies and how simulation tools can serve as decision support systems for operations strategy managers is conducted.