Analysis of capacity management of the intensive care unit in a hospital

A hospital's intensive care unit (ICU) is a limited and critical resource whose efficient utilization of capacity impacts on both the welfare of patients and the hospital's cost effectiveness. Decisions made in the ICU affect the operations of other departments. Yet, decision making in an ICU tends to be mainly subjective and lacking in clear criteria upon which to base any given decision. The study reviews the capacity utilization of one particular ICU, that of a public hospital in Hong Kong, and develops a computer simulation model to improve both the unit's capacity utilization and the quality of care provided to its patients.