291. Emergency Departments Demand Management: Introducing a New Scheduling Service through Virtual Triage Implementation
Contributed abstract in session TB-4: Modeling and Simulation /1, stream Regular talks.
Tuesday, 11:00-12:30Room: Room S3
Authors (first author is the speaker)
| 1. | ELISA ALESSIO
|
| 2. | Mattia Cattaneo
|
| Department of Management, Information and Production Engineering, University of Bergamo | |
| 3. | Sebastian Birolini
|
| Department of Management, Information, and Production Engineering, University of Bergamo |
Abstract
The emergency department (ED) plays a vital role in our society, providing 24-hour emergency care. However, overcrowding, caused by increasing "non-emergency" visits, limited resources, and operational inefficiencies, is a significant problem. This situation compromises the timeliness and accessibility of emergency care.
Over the years, various solutions have been proposed to address the problem of overcrowding, but none has completely solved the issue. However, in recent years, a new technology is developing and could prove crucial in combating overcrowding: virtual triage. This tool allows patients to be assessed remotely, providing instant triage recommendations to avoid overestimates, reduce unnecessary hospital admissions, and evenly distribute healthcare demand.
In particular, this study seeks to explore how this innovative remote solution can enable the identification of all those patients who, although not urgent, require specific investigations at the ED and thus introduce an appointment-based service that can improve the patient experience overall, reducing long waits on-site and optimizing the use of available resources. We will develop a simulation model based on current ED procedures to study the effect of this new service on ED performance. We will assess patients' willingness to use this system through a stated preference analysis in which subjects will be asked to indicate their preferences in relation to three main alternatives.
Keywords
- Emergency Department
- e-Health
- Patient scheduling
Status: accepted
Back to the list of papers