Health Care

AnalysisWorks has a strong understanding of health care systems both from an operations perspective as well as from a planning perspective. Our projects range from process re-engineering, data extraction and analysis, resource allocation methodology development, funding models, capacity analysis, and simulation model development. The following are our areas of expertise within health care:

Emergency Services
In the area of Emergency Services, AnalysisWorks has helped Emergency Departments address issues around congestion, capacity planning and alignment of scarce resources. Specific areas where AnalysisWorks has successfully supported hospital Emergency Departments include:

• Activity Profiling: Through a detailed analytical framework we help Emergency Departments identify and quantify issues that contribute to congestion in the department. The results help health authorities develop strategies to address key issue areas across the continuum of care and reduce congestion in Emergency Departments.
• Simulation Modeling and Scenario Analysis Techniques: We develop representative computer simulation models to help Emergency Departments assess the impact of policy and/or operational changes on the flow of patients through the department, before making changes. The models also support departments in defining key requirements to realistically meet established service level targets.
• Long-Term Workload Projections: We support health authorities in estimating the future demand for services based on aging demographics and the associated distribution by triage level. Capacity analyses are also conducted to evaluate the impact of managing under different occupancy levels.

• Patient Flow Analyses: We carry out complex analyses of patient flow through the health system in order to identify bottlenecks and gaps in the system, and identify areas requiring immediate attention.
• Systems Modeling: Through the development of systems models, we support health authorities in understanding the impact of capacity limitations in each area, on patient flow across the health system.
• Congestion Indictors: We support organizations in the development of meaningful and actionable performance indicators, with a specific focus on contributors to congestion. We work with our client's internal decision support departments to implement reporting systems, which in turn provide information that can be used to avoid over-capacity situations.

• Bed Allocation Methodologies: We have worked extensively with health authorities in developing and refining transparent, data-based and principle-based methodologies for allocating inpatient beds to Medical Services. The methodologies take into consideration historical utilization, performance adjustments, and the degree of variability in the demand for services.
• Discharge Planning: We work with our clients in developing effective processes to coordinate joint efforts involved in discharge planning. We are heavily involved in process design, development of tracking tools, and performance evaluation.

• OR Time Allocation Methodologies: We develop transparent, data-based and principle-based methodologies for allocating surgical operating room time to Surgical services. Our approaches range from detailed and rigorous with multiple adjustment factors, to 'basic principles' with a focus on a few fundamental considerations.
• Surgical Smoothing: We have supported our clients in the development of simulation models for evaluating different approaches to surgical smoothing. The models capture the statistical patterns of each surgeon and their respective case types, and simulate the impact of different policies for surgical scheduling.
• Waitlist Modeling and Scenario Analysis: We develop validated models of waitlists to support decision makers in determining the degree of change required to achieve specific wait time targets. The models consider priority levels, selection bias, transitioning of patients on the wait list, and patterns of growth.