Operations Research Methods Applied to Workflow in a Medical Records Department

Authors

S.-Y Edna Chan
Jeff Ohlmann
Steve Dunbar, University of Nebraska at Lincoln
Charlene Dunbar
Sarah Ryan, Iowa State University
Paul Savory, University of Nebraska at LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

8-2002

Comments

S. Chan, J. Ohlmann, S. Dunbar, C. Dunbar, S. Ryan, and P. Savory (2002), “Operations Research Methods Applied to Workflow in a Medical Records Department,” Health Care Management Science. Volume 5, No. 3, pp. 191-199

Abstract

Transcribing medical documents accurately into pre-defined formats and within certain time frames is vital for administrative and medical purposes in any hospital. This paper describes quantitative models incorporating available data to represent transcription activities of a medical records department. We forecasted the workload of the department, determined the optimal worker schedule and designed a simulation model to represent the workflow of the transcription function of a medical record department. The findings provided insight into the workflow, staffing and performance of the department.