Automated Bed Assignments in a Complex and Dynamic Hospital Environment

Bex George Thomas (), Srinivas Bollapragada (), Kunter Akbay (), David Toledano (), Peter Katlic (), Onur Dulgeroglu () and Dan Yang ()
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Bex George Thomas: General Electric Global Research, Software Sciences and Analytics, Niskayuna, New York 12309
Srinivas Bollapragada: General Electric Global Research, Software Sciences and Analytics, Niskayuna, New York 12309
Kunter Akbay: General Electric Global Research, Software Sciences and Analytics, Niskayuna, New York 12309
David Toledano: General Electric Global Research, Software Sciences and Analytics, Niskayuna, New York 12309
Peter Katlic: General Electric Global Research, Software Sciences and Analytics, Niskayuna, New York 12309
Onur Dulgeroglu: General Electric Global Research, Software Sciences and Analytics, Niskayuna, New York 12309
Dan Yang: General Electric Global Research, Software Sciences and Analytics, Niskayuna, New York 12309

Interfaces, 2013, vol. 43, issue 5, 435-448

Abstract: Bed management, an important function of any hospital, has a major impact on patient care, patient flow, patient and staff satisfaction, and ultimately on the hospital’s operating margin. A key challenge in bed management is optimizing the bed-assignment process in a complex and dynamic operating environment. Efficient bed assignment requires the merging of clinical information, hospital operations information, interdependencies between units, and real-time information on patients, resources, and workflows. We have developed analytical decision support tools with embedded mathematical models to periodically recommend bed-patient assignments. Using an innovative mixed-integer goal-programming modeling approach, we are able to accommodate the multiple goals and complex operating rules of different hospitals. We implemented and hosted our prototype bed-assignment solution as a cloud-based application for Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York.

Keywords: health services; hospital bed management; optimization; goal programming; cloud computing (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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