SIMPLE MODELS OF WAITING LISTS

G. J. Rodgers, Y. J. Yap and T. P. Young
Additional contact information
G. J. Rodgers: Department of Mathematical Sciences, Brunel University, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 3PH, UK
Y. J. Yap: Department of Mathematical Sciences, Brunel University, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 3PH, UK
T. P. Young: Department of Information Systems and Computing, Brunel University, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 3PH, UK

Advances in Complex Systems (ACS), 2003, vol. 06, issue 02, 215-222

Abstract: Motivated by recent empirical studies of the length distribution of hospital waiting lists, we introduce and solve a set of models that imitate the formation of waiting lists. Patients arriving in the system must choose a waiting list to join, based on its length. At the same time patients leave the lists as they get served. The model illustrates how the power-law distributions found in the empirical studies might arise, but indicates that the mechanism causing the power-laws is unlikely to be the preferential behavior of patients or their physicians.

Keywords: Waiting lists; healthcare; power-law; 02.50.cw; 05.40.-a; 89.75Hc (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2003
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.worldscientific.com/doi/abs/10.1142/S0219525903000827
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:wsi:acsxxx:v:06:y:2003:i:02:n:s0219525903000827

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from

DOI: 10.1142/S0219525903000827

Access Statistics for this article

Advances in Complex Systems (ACS) is currently edited by Frank Schweitzer

More articles in Advances in Complex Systems (ACS) from World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Tai Tone Lim ().