| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立雲林科技大學 === 環境與安全衛生工程系 === 103 === The purpose of this study is to construct a physical-mathematical model for emergency department (ED) patients flow estimations based on the retented patients for a surge event. In fluid mechanics, the concept of control volume is compared with the conceptual model of ”input-throughput-output” for ED crowding.
The control volume for ED is followed the mass conservation law; therefore, the governing equation of ED patient flow can be deduce by the patient density (ρ), relative time (t), relative distance (x), and patient flow velocity (K). The equation is defined as: ∂ρ/∂t=-K(∂ρ/∂x).It is worth to mention that the K can be regarded as the treatment velocity of ED medical providers.
The governing equation is resolved by the definitions of the character functions, initiation conditions, and the boundary conditions in order to find the non-ordered K equations. Two ED surge events of Changhua Christian Medical Center in 2011 were analyzed by the physical-mathematical model in this research. The patients’ ED registration and departure time were collected for the possible solutions for K of the non-ordered equations.
Conclusively, the governing function deduced from the physical-mathematical model is competent to analyze the ED patient flow. An valuable constant of K can be obtained through a series of computation to evaluate not only the velocity of patient flow, but the treatment velocity of ED medical providers indirectly.
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