Modelling and analysis of resource allocation for hospital inpatient operations

Abstract

{Introduction} More patients are opting to go for Same-Day admissions, where they can register and go for their operations with significantly reduced waiting time. The objective of this paper is to find out the optimal schedule (for eight specialty groups for every weekday) to release beds to reduce patient waiting time and maximise bed utilisation.

{Methodology} Discrete Event Simulation (DES) is useful in simulating real-life conditions where the beds are finite and sought after by many patients. The patients’ arrival in this paper is generated using a Poisson Process with Exponential Jumps, and parameters obtained from past records. Random Optimization was used to compare inputs and minimize the DES output for different inputs.

{Results} This entire process was run 56 times and 56 specific results were obtained. Further, entries with satisfactory estimated distribution fits were re-run with schedules generated from past patient arrival timing distribution.