Applying Queuing Theory in Health Care: A Necessary Step Toward Improving Quality of Care and Margin

In an era of healthcare reform, improving quality and safety, and decreasing healthcare cost have become even more important goals than before. Scientific management of patient flow is at the heart of our ability to achieve these goals. While on one hand we are faced with overcrowded facilities, on the other hand, the industry’s financial conditions do not allow us to add resources liberally. One key challenge is our ability to match random patient demand to fixed capacity. Queuing theory is a methodology that addresses this very challenge. Queuing theory was first used in telecommunications and then was adopted by all major industries, like airlines, the Internet and most service-delivery organizations. In the health care industry, however, queuing theory has not been utilized until recently. When used appropriately, the results are often dramatic: saving time, increasing revenue, and increasing staff and patient satisfaction.

IHO is pleased to announce a two-day seminar, Applying Queuing Theory to Health Care: A Necessary Step Toward Improving Quality of Care and Margin taught by Dr. Eugene Litvak and other faculty. The two-day seminar will be followed by two queuing theory application webinars where participants can seek advice on their individual projects and learn from the experiences of their colleagues as they apply seminar learning in their own organizations. During the seminar, several different queuing theory models will be introduced and accompanied by extensive exercises. Different healthcare problems require different queuing models. The key is to know specifically which model to apply in what healthcare setting.

At the end of this seminar, you will be able to solve the following types of problems at your organization:

• How many nurses do you need at a time on any inpatient unit?
• Should you add another CT scanner to your radiology service?
• How many beds do you need to staff in your ED at different times of the day or days of the week?
• Is it necessary to hire an additional anesthesiologist for out-of-OR services?
• How many registration staff, nurses, other providers, or exam rooms do you need to provide open access services in your clinic setting?
• What additional resources (nurses, beds, etc.), if any, do you need to decrease your rate of left without being seen in the ED?
• How many phlebotomists do you need to guarantee acceptable waiting times?
• What is the highest occupancy / utilization rate you can tolerate?
• How many beds or staff should you budget for?

There is absolutely no way to answer any of the above questions without queuing theory. Everything else would be guessing.

When: May 17-18, 2012

Where: Boston, MA

Please contact us to receive periodic seminar updates and information