Title: Networks of queues with multiple customer types: application in emergency departments

Authors: Jihene Jlassi, Aederrahman El Mhamedi, Habib Chabchoub

Addresses: ISGI de Sfax Route Mharza, Km 1.5-B.P954-3018 Sfax, Tunisia. ' Modelisation et Genie des Systemes Industriels (MGSI), IUT de Montreuil, 140 Rue de la Nouvelle, 93100 Montreuil, France. ' ISGI de Sfax Route Mharza, Km 1.5-B.P954-3018 Sfax, Tunisia

Abstract: Emergency Departments (EDs) have become a useful way to access hospitals and they are the subject of study of many researchers. The research developed in this paper aims to improve the performance of the ED of Habib Bourguiba Sfax Hospital through an analytical method. A network of queues with multiple customer types is proposed. Different indicators of performance are used. We illustrate here multiclass networks of queues. The ED of Habib Bourguiba Sfax Hospital presents two types of patients: urgent cases and non-urgent cases. The discipline of the department is First-Come, First-Served (FCFS). Following William|s (1991) procedure, we obtain results based on the diagnosis of the specialist (first step/evaluation) and then diagnosis of the general physician (second step/additional evaluation.) The two evaluations are commonly the procedures that patients have to endure and more often than not this process makes them wait a long time for care service; this finding confirms the results given by the Witness simulation model.

Keywords: emergency departments; effectiveness; analytical methods; multiclass networks of queues; queuing; hospitals; health services; multiple customer types; Habib Bourguiba Sfax Hospital; Tunisia; performance indicators; patients; urgent cases; non-urgent cases; first-come first-served; doctors; medical staff; specialists; diagnoses; general physicians; additional evaluation; waiting times; care services; witness simulation model; behavioural research; healthcare research.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBHR.2009.032157

International Journal of Behavioural and Healthcare Research, 2009 Vol.1 No.4, pp.400 - 419

Published online: 11 Mar 2010 *

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