Computer-assisted Scheduling of Elective Admissions

Abstract

This paper describes the results of calculating hospital admission dates by computer using a relatively simple scheduling process. The scheduling process was developed as an extension to an existing computer-assisted waiting list system being used in a department of Urology. Results were obtained by observing the behaviour of the system over periods of 6 months before and after extension, and by running the extended system as part of a simulation model. It is shown that the relatively simple computer scheduling process can be used to satisfactorily replace a substantial part of the former manual scheduling, and that the quality of data present in the computer-assisted waiting list system prior to extension was adequate to support the new process. The extension results in a significant saving of clinicians' time with negligible increase in running costs.