ABSTRACT
Although scores of operational research (OR) studies have been reported in the area of health care, a relatively small number of these have been couched in terms of strategic planning.1'4 On the other hand, operational research can contribute directly to strategic hospital planning by providing a means for administrators and analysts to assess the linkages between decisions. In practice, choices regarding capacity, layout, system design or scheduling must be made in the context of one another. For example, one aspect of hospital planning involves consideration of long term capital expenditure on buildings and equipment based upon forecast patient arrivals, expected length of stay, personnel availability and planned utilization of equipment. Yet utilization of buildings and equipment will depend upon the scheduling and assignment of patients and resources to clinical areas, with patient arrival patterns influenced by the hospital’s ability to dictate the admission of elective patients. To ensure consistency or focus among these (related) decisions, administrators would be well advised to direct increased attention toward an understanding of the ties between the models that are typically used to evaluate particular aspects of hospital management.
