Optimising resource management in neurorehabilitation.
BACKGROUND: To date, little research has been published regarding the effective and efficient management of resources (beds and staff) in neurorehabilitation, despite being an expensive service in limited supply. OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate how mathematical modelling can be used to optimise service de...
| Published in: | NeuroRehabilitation Vol. 35; no. 2; pp. 171 - 180 |
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
| Format: | pictorial research tables/charts Journal Article |
| Published: |
Sage Publications Inc.
2014
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| Online Access: | View this record in EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=103897072&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ccm uiTerm: 103897072 longDbName: CINAHL Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: dissinfo: jinfo: jid: 10538135 3RE jtl: NeuroRehabilitation issn: 10538135 maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: 2014 vid: 35 iid: 2 pid: 344 pub: Sage Publications Inc. place: Thousand Oaks, California artinfo: ui: 103897072 98560625 10.3233/NRE-141114 NLM24990023 103897072 ppf: 171 ppct: 9 formats: fmt: @attributes: type: P tig: atl: Optimising resource management in neurorehabilitation. aug: au: Wood, Richard M. Griffiths, Jeff D. Williams, Janet E. Brouwers, Jakko affil: School of Mathematics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK sug: subj: Rehabilitation Nervous System Diseases Health Resource Utilization Computer Simulation Models, Statistical Personnel Staffing and Scheduling Appointment and Scheduling Information Systems Multidisciplinary Care Team ab: BACKGROUND: To date, little research has been published regarding the effective and efficient management of resources (beds and staff) in neurorehabilitation, despite being an expensive service in limited supply. OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate how mathematical modelling can be used to optimise service delivery, by way of a case study at a major 21 bed neurorehabilitation unit in the UK. METHODS: An automated computer program for assigning weekly treatment sessions is developed. Queue modelling is used to construct a mathematical model of the hospital in terms of referral submissions to a waiting list, admission and treatment, and ultimately discharge. This is used to analyse the impact of hypothetical strategic decisions on a variety of performance measures and costs. The project culminates in a hybridised model of these two approaches, since a relationship is found between the number of therapy hours received each week (scheduling output) and length of stay (queuing model input). RESULTS: The introduction of the treatment scheduling program has substantially improved timetable quality (meaning a better and fairer service to patients) and has reduced employee time expended in its creation by approximately six hours each week (freeing up time for clinical work). The queuing model has been used to assess the effect of potential strategies, such as increasing the number of beds or employing more therapists. CONCLUSIONS: The use of mathematical modelling has not only optimised resources in the short term, but has allowed the optimality of longer term strategic decisions to be assessed. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: pictorial research tables/charts Journal Article ougenre: Article language: English refInfo: holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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