Multi-class queue network analysis methodology to improve the performance of emergency services

This work derives an open queue network model from an emergency service project aimed at increasing the capacity of the emergency department to treat its patients. The model captures hospital-specific differences in the clinical risk profile of its patients, arrival patterns and volumes, and process efficiency in a single computational model. An implementation of the resulting queue equations is used to size the ED areas using wait time, utilization factor, and probability of overflow as service quality goals. Non-homogeneous arrival patterns, non-exponential distributions of care time, and five patient profiles are all incorporated. The model was applied in an emergency room of a private hospital.