Performance Analysis of Emergency Room Episodes Through Process Mining

Eric Rojas, Andres Cifuentes, Andrea Burattin, Jorge Munoz-Gama, Marcos Sepúlveda and Daniel Capurro
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Eric Rojas: Department of Computer Science, School of Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 7820436, Chile
Andres Cifuentes: Department of Computer Science, School of Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 7820436, Chile
Andrea Burattin: Software and Process Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
Jorge Munoz-Gama: Department of Computer Science, School of Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 7820436, Chile
Marcos Sepúlveda: Department of Computer Science, School of Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 7820436, Chile
Daniel Capurro: Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8331150, Chile

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 7, 1-20

Abstract: The performance analysis of Emergency Room episodes is aimed at providing decision makers with knowledge that allows them to decrease waiting times, reduce patient congestion, and improve the quality of care provided. In this case study, Process Mining is used to determine which activities, sub-processes, interactions, and characteristics of episodes explain why some episodes have a longer duration. The employed method and the results obtained are described in detail to serve as a guide for future performance analysis in this domain. It was discovered that the main cause of the increment in the episode duration is the occurrence of a loop between the Examination and Treatment sub-processes. It was also found out that as the episode severity increases, the number of repetitions of the Examination–Treatment loop increases as well. Moreover, the episodes in which this loop is more common are those that lead to Hospitalization as discharge destination. These findings might help to reduce the occurrence of this loop, in turn lowering the episode duration and, consequently, providing faster attention to more patients.

Keywords: Process Mining; healthcare; Emergency Room (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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