A robust assessment of effective healthcare demand in the Pediatric Emergency Department

This work aims to assess the effective demand of healthcare treatment load in the Pediatric Emergency Department (PED) as a treatment time requested and focus on the treatment time remained. So we defined a metrics assessing the Total Demand Load (TDL) of healthcare treatment in the PED which is more robust to reflect the whole patients´ healthcare demand than the simple attending patients count. In addition, we demonstrate that we have to avoid being limited on the physical presence of patients because a high occupancy rate does not necessarily mean that there is a high demand of healthcare treatment. This study was based on Length Of Stay (LOS) estimation according to the patient diagnostic and his number of additional tests. The patient process progression is modeled by a time buffer system allowing the instantly track of each patient. It is a way to improve the quality of service and information delivery. This method offers a priority mechanism, it is also a robust management and decision aided tool. Besides, the time buffers system will encourage physicians to respect the time needed for each patient profile suggested in order to maximize the objective of improving the performing. Such system will make them aware about three important points: The healthcare Treatment process progress, the eventual overflowing/ time excess, the eventual high acuity. From patients´ viewpoint, it will reassure parents who can follow the healthcare treatment progression of their children instantly.