Predicting Waiting Times for Medical Tasks in a Pediatric Hospital Using Machine Learning: Comprehensive, Retrospective, Real-World Study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The shortage of pediatric medical resources and overcrowding in children's hospitals are severe issues in China. Accurately predicting waiting times can help optimize hospital operational efficiency.

Objective

This study aims to develop machine learning models to predict waiting times for various laboratory and radiology examinations at a pediatric hospital.

Methods

Time stamp data from laboratory and radiology examinations were retrospectively collected from the pediatric hospital information system between November 1, 2024, and March 13, 2025. Two queue-related and 4 time-based features were extracted using queue theory. Linear regression and 8 machine learning models were trained to predict waiting times for each medical task. Hyperparameters were fine-t

SUBMITTER: Guo LL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12481172 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature