Simulating the effects of reducing transfer latency from the intensive care unit on intensive care unit bed utilization in a Korean Tertiary Hospital.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Latency in transferring patients from intensive care units (ICUs) to general wards impedes the optimal allocation of ICU resources, underscoring the urgency of initiatives to reduce it. This study evaluates the extent of ICU transfer latency and assesses the potential benefits of minimizing it.

Methods

Transfer latency was measured as the time between the first transfer request and the actual ICU discharge at a single-center tertiary hospital in 2021. Computer-based simulations and cost analyses were performed to examine how reducing transfer latency could affect average hourly ICU bed occupancy, the proportion of time ICU occupancy exceeds 80%, and hospital costs. The first analysis evaluated all ICU admissions, and the second analysis targeted a subset of ICU ad

SUBMITTER: Choi J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11924396 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature