Computer-assisted Control of a Waiting List

Abstract

The main objective in the use of computer-based systems which dynamically order hospital waiting lists is to produce a more systematic and clinically acceptable pattern of selection from the waiting list than that resulting from traditional manual systems. This has been achieved previously through the evaluation of fairly complex mathematical formulae which require detailed analysis to modify their behaviour pattern, and thus separate the clinician from direct control of the system.This paper describes a waiting list management system which uses a conceptually simple ordering process based on waiting time limits set by the clinician for each planned clinical procedure relevant to the specialty. The clinician receives periodic analyses of the current performance of the process and can easily control the behaviour pattern by changing the limits for any procedure. The system also keeps account of allocated bed and theatre resources.Use of this waiting list management system in a Urology Department has resulted in a significant shift in the composition of the waiting list and in a more equitable pattern of selection from the waiting list;. In addition, the time spent by the clinician in managing the waiting list has been considerably reduced.

Computer-assisted Scheduling of Elective Admissions

“…The computer-assisted waiting list management system introduced into the Urology Department of the Royal Infirmary, Aberdeen, has been described in detail elsewhere [4]. It included the waiting list, allocated resources and the ordering components shown in Fig.…”

“…The first section contains all urgent patients, the second contains those patients moving outside their time' constraints, and the third section contains a list of a further 20 (in this particular case) patients ordered according to their current relative priority. The provision of the ordered list and the surmnary of allocated resources by the system just before the time when the cllilicians were to make their selections reduced the ammmt of time formerly spent on scheduling admissions in a totally manual way by approximately 2 homs [4].…”

“…1). All maintain an up-to-date waiting list [1,3,4], some can order the waiting list according to cm'rent priority for admission [3,4], and others maintain a picture of allocated resources [2,3,4]. In comparison, however, relatively little attention has been given to the date calculation component, which requires information from each of the other three components in order to calculate admission dates and, where appropriate, theatre dates.…”

“…This paper describes the extension of an existing waiting list system [4] to include a relatively simple date calculation process, and it describes the use of this process on an ordered urological waiting list over a period of 6 months. The aim of the extension was to replace a significant proportion of the former manual scheduling and so reduce to a minimum the time spent by the clinician on waiting list management, without adversely affecting resource utilisation.…”