Bed management
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bed management is the allocation and provision of beds, especially in a hospital where beds in specialist wards are a scarce resource.[2]
In the UK, acute hospital bed management is usually performed by a dedicated team and may form part of a larger process of Patient flow management.
[edit] Importance of bed management
Because hospital beds are economically scarce resources, there is naturally pressure to ensure high occupancy rates and therefore a minimal buffer of empty beds. Hospitals with average occupancy levels above 85 per cent "can expect to have regular bed shortages and periodic bed crises." [3]
Shortage of beds can result in cancellations of admissions for planned (elective) surgery, admission to inappropriate wards (medical vs surgical, male vs female etc), delay admitting emergency patients,[4] and transfers of existing inpatients between wards, which "may add a day to a patients length of stay".[1]
These can be politically sensitive issues in publicly funded heathcare systems. In the UK there has been concern over inaccurate and sometimes fraudulently manipulated waiting list statistics,[5] and claims that "the current A&E target is simply not achievable without the employment of dubious management tactics."[6]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Proudlove N C (2003). "Can good bed management solve the overcrowding in accident and emergency departments?" (pdf). Emerg Med J 20: 149-155. PMID 12642528.
- ^ Ruth Boaden, Natahn Proudlove, Melanie Wilson (1999), “An exploratory study of bed management”, Journal of Management in Medicine 13 (4): 234-250, <http://www.emeraldinsight.com/Insight/viewContentItem.do?contentType=Article&hdAction=lnkpdf&contentId=1411521>
- ^ Inpatient Admissions and Bed management in NHS acute hospitals (pdf) 7. National Audit Office (2000-02-21). Retrieved on 2008-05-20.
- ^ Bed management - Review of National Findings (html) Section 2 - Patient Experience. Audit Commission (2003-06-19). Retrieved on 2008-05-20.
- ^ The NHS: Has the Additional Funding Worked? 2-3. Civitas (April 2005). Retrieved on 2008-05-20.
- ^ Mayhew, Les; Smith, David (December 2006). Latest research statistically proves A&E waiting times are not being met. Using queuing theory to analyse completion times in accident and emergency departments in the light of the Government 4-hour target. Cass Business School. Retrieved on 2008-05-20.
