Optimizing hospital bed allocation for coordinated medical efficiency and quality improvement

Abstract

In this study, we aim to optimize hospital bed allocation to enhance medical service efficiency and quality. We developed an optimization model and algorithms considering cross-departmental bed-sharing costs, patient waiting costs, and the impact on medical quality when patients are assigned to non-primary departments. First, we propose an algorithm to calculate departmental similarity and quantify the effect on patients’ length of stay when admitted to non-primary departments. We then formulate a two-stage cost minimization problem: the first stage involves determining bed allocation for each department, and the second stage involves dynamic admission control decisions. For the second stage, we apply a dynamic programming method and approximate the model using deterministic linear programming to ensure practicality and computational efficiency. Numerical studies validate the effectiveness of our approach. Results show that our model and algorithms significantly improve bed resource utilization and medical service quality, supporting hospital management decisions.