Hospitals Use Number of Beds and Inpatient Utilization (Inpatient Days)

question 39

Essay

Hospitals use number of beds and inpatient utilization (inpatient days) to measure capacity. There's no time period on the former measure of capacity, and thus there is no "throughput." Why would these measures be misleading? How can hospitals better manage their capacity?

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Definitions:

Chromosomes

Thread-like structures located inside the nucleus of animal and plant cells, made of protein and a single molecule of DNA.

Centrosome

An organelle in animal cells that is the main microtubule-organizing center; typically contains a pair of centrioles and is important in cell division.

Golgi Complex

An organelle in eukaryotic cells involved in modifying, sorting, and packaging proteins and lipids for export or use within the cell.

Lysosome

A membrane-bound organelle found in most eukaryotic cells containing enzymes that digest macromolecules and defective cellular components.