Flow Variability Management

The faculty of the Institute for Healthcare Optimization have developed an approach to address artificial variability in patient flow, which is a key driver of cost, quality and access issues in healthcare. In a nutshell IHO’s approach involves identifying, classifying and quantifying different types of variability in patient flow, followed by smoothing of artificial variability, thereby creating the foundation for scientifically determining the magnitude of resources for various patient streams. The main goal of flow variability management is to increase patient throughput, decrease patient waiting times, and maintain or improve safety and quality, without commensurately increasing resources.

Key Elements of Patient Flow Variability Management

Separate scheduled and unscheduled patient flows
Eliminate / Minimize artificial variability wherever possible
Assign separate resources for scheduled and unscheduled patients
Resources for unscheduled patients should be based on clinically driven maximum acceptable waiting times
Resources for scheduled patients should be based on maximizing patient throughput and minimizing unnecessary waiting

Read more about our unique IHO Variability Methodology® services

Cost reduction through optimal patient Flow Variability Management Healthcare Cost Corner

Hospital costs can be decreased by millions of dollars annually by adopting the Institute for Healthcare Optimization’s approach to managing variability in healthcare delivery.

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Case Study

See how Cincinnati Children’s Hospital increased annual revenue by $137M, and avoided $100M in cost, while improving quality of care.

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Resources

Book Cover Mock - Optimizing Patient Flow

Joint Commission Resources Book

The IHO’s approach to managing variability in healthcare delivery is the central theme of Joint Commission Resources’ new book.

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Book Cover Image - Transforming Healthcare Scheduling and Access

IOM Report: Transforming Health Care Scheduling and Access

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommended IHO Variability Methodology as one of the six principles to address the compelling issue of access to healthcare.

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Keep up on the latest IHO NewsWhat's New

A key step on the road to health equity: improving patient flow

BY EUGENE LITVAK, MARK D. SMITH, HARVEY V. FINEBERG, OPINION CONTRIBUTORS

‘Dying on wait-lists’: Could private health-care solve Canada’s ER ‘crisis’?

With Canada’s health-care system “in crisis” as described by many front-line workers, there is a renewed push towards leaning on private facilities to ease the pressure on public hospitals.

COVID-19 surgery delays can be done without overburdening workers, say experts

By Laura Osman. The Canadian Press

How Hospitals Can Save Lives and Themselves Lessons on Patient Flow From the COVID-19 Pandemic

Litvak, Eugene PhD; Keshavjee, Shaf MD, MSc, FRCSC, FACS; Gewertz, Bruce L. MD; Fineberg, Harvey V. MD, PhD

Should You Go to the ER for That? How to Decide Medical Options as Covid Strains Hospitals

How surgical smoothing could help ease the medical backlog created by COVID-19

Surgical smoothing eliminates conflicts and adds granularity to medical-decision making.
Colin Butler – CBC News

Who Should We Treat: Elective Surgical Admissions or Patients With COVID-19?

Peter S. Antkowiak, MD; Michael N. Cocchi, MD; David T. Chiu, MD, MPH; and Leon D. Sanchez, MD, MPH

Here’s what pooled testing is and how it can be used for the coronavirus

Jason Hanna, CNN

Opinion: This math-trained Harvard professor is helping hospitals cope with a potential second wave of Covid-19

Mark Taylor, MarketWatch

The coronavirus is devastating U.S. hospitals, which will lose $200 billion in revenue by the end of June

Mark Taylor, MarketWatch

Another election cycle, another health-care debate

National adoption of patient flow optimization practices has the potential to reduce total U.S. per capita spending “by 4-5%”, which amounts to $140 to $180 billion a year.

Emergency Rooms Shouldn’t Be Parking Lots For Patients

Smoothing out surgical scheduling to improve efficiency is much less expensive than building a new hospital wing, and has been shown to yield major improvements.

To Solve Hospital Overcrowding, Think Like a Mathematician

An operations management specialist is applying lessons from statistics to help free up hospital beds. It’s working.

The way out of the nurse staffing impasse

Unresolved nurse burnout at hospitals globally leads to legislative initiatives such as Massachusetts’ ballot Question 1. In the face of financial constraints and workforce shortages, the only solution is to smooth variability in healthcare operations.