| Article ID: | iaor20052653 |
| Country: | Netherlands |
| Volume: | 7 |
| Issue: | 3 |
| Start Page Number: | 217 |
| End Page Number: | 224 |
| Publication Date: | Jul 2004 |
| Journal: | Health Care Management Science |
| Authors: | Masterson Brian J., Mihara Thomas G., Miller George, Randolph Stephen C., Forkner Emma M., Crouter Andrew L. |
Optimizing healthcare delivery – improving processes to reduce impediments to care – is an important goal of the Military Health System. Models and data can be effective tools to assist managers in achieving this goal. This paper illustrates this utility with a case study of the intensive care unit (ICU) at the US Air Force's Wilford Hall Medical Center. A discrete-event simulation demonstrates how the integration of corporate data and ICU data through a model can help indentify changes intended to improve ICU performance. Results of the analysis describe impacts of ICU size and bed mix, operating policies, and the deployment of ICU staff on measures of occupancy, congestion, and physician training needs.