Abstract
A new optimization criterion for locating emergency medical care facilities, level-load retrieval time, is described and applied to Los Angeles County. Results are compared with those obtained by optimizing mean retrieval time. The new cirterion combines retrieval times from demand points served by each facility and patient load on each facility; it yields facility sets with average retrieval times 5 to 10 percent longer, but with much more uniform patient loads, than the sets obtained by optimizing mean retrieval time. The new criterion can be used as a complement to other planning criteria and may help reduce excessive demand on the emergency care services of overloaded facilities.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Atterbury C. E., Weil T. P., Donnell H. D., Jr Factors affecting emergency room utilization. South Med J. 1968 Oct;61(10):1061–1067. doi: 10.1097/00007611-196810000-00011. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Brooks C. H. Associations among distance, patient satisfaction, and utilization of two types of inner-city clinics. Med Care. 1973 Sep-Oct;11(5):373–383. doi: 10.1097/00005650-197309000-00002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Gibson G. Status of urban services. I. Hospitals. 1971 Dec 1;45(23):49–54. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Morrill R. L., Earickson R. Variation in the character and use of Chicago area hospitals. Health Serv Res. 1968 Fall;3(3):224–238. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Siler K. F. Predicting demand for publicly dispatched ambulances in a metropolitan area. Health Serv Res. 1975 Fall;10(3):254–263. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]