A patient arrives at an emergency room and must go through two tasks before he c
ID: 358449 • Letter: A
Question
A patient arrives at an emergency room and must go through two tasks before he can either see a physician or be seated and wait to be called and taken to a room for treatment. The first step is triage where his vital signs are taken and the severity of his problem is assessed by a triage nurse. If a patient is considered to have a minor problem or require acute care, he is directed to the check-in desk where his contact information and health insurance are verified, and where a co-payment is typically collected. Triage requires 15 minutes per patient and check-in requires 5 minutes per patient. The emergency room is open 24 hours per day. How many patients can be processed at this initial stage of an emergency room visit in a 24-hour day?
1.2 patients per day
1.6 patients per day
72 patients per day
96 patients per day
a.1.2 patients per day
b.1.6 patients per day
c.72 patients per day
d.96 patients per day
Explanation / Answer
To be calculated:
Number of patients processed
Given values:
Triage processing time = 15 minutes per patient
Check-in processing time = 5 minutes per patient
Solution:
In an assembly line, Cycle time (CT) of the overall service process is the maximum of service time of the individual processes.
Cycle Time (CT) = Maximum (Triage processing time and check-in processing time)
Cycle Time (CT) = Maximum (15 minutes, 5 minutes)
Cycle Time (CT) of the emergency room = 15 minutes per patient
Number of patients in 1 hour = 60 minutes / Cycle time
Number of patients in 1 hour = 60 minutes / 15 minutes
Number of patients in 1 hour = 4 patients
Number of patients in 24 hours = 4 patients x 24
Number of patients in 24 hours = 96 patients
Answer: Option (D) - 96 patients per day
Related Questions
drjack9650@gmail.com
Navigate
Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.