ABSTRACT
Thus far our discussions have been focused primarily on demand. We have surmised in that there are patterns to the demand within healthcare facilities, and that these patterns in turn generate downstream demand for services throughout the patient visit. Some of the communal demand is more volatile and variable (e.g., into the ED). Some is more controlled or at least controllable (e.g., surgical services, wherein the surgical schedule initiates patterns of demand and thus creates its own downstream patterns). Regardless of the source, the arrival of the patient into a facility triggers various downstream demands that are generated throughout the length of the patient visit. Of course, in order to study the demand-capacity continuum, we must also consider the availability of capacity throughout the system. Many falsely assume that capacity can be viewed either as a constant, or, worse, as an uncontrollable variable. Neither are true.
