Application of simulation and modelling in managing unplanned healthcare demand

Description

Patients who attend Accident and Emergency (A & E) departments with problems that could be dealt with by their general practitioners (GPs) use time and resources of the department that could be otherwise used for patients with more appropriate needs. Hospital managers throughout the world are facing increasing pressure to introduce measures and initiatives to significantly ease the problem of such inappropriate attendances at A&E departments. This study looks at an initiative in which primary care clinicians are used to help deflect patients with non-urgent needs away from A&E. Simulation and modelling was used to assess the impact that this initiative would have on A&E workflow. The results suggest that the deflection of patients attending A&E with non-urgent needs may reduce the time spent in A&E by all patients attending A&E.

Period	19 Sep 2012
Event title	5th Annual HaCIRIC International Conference: Transforming Healthcare Infrastructures and services in the age of austerity
Event type	Conference
Conference number	5
Location	Cardiff, United Kingdom
Degree of Recognition	International