Required Hospital Beds Estimation: A Simulation Study

In this study, we aimed to estimate number of required hospital beds using stochastic process and statistical simulation. Preliminary required data for simulation process is collected from a random sample of hospitalized women in an obstetrics ward. Then, a simulation study was performed in regard to distribution of inpatients. Hospitalization time before and after starting treatment and the number of inpatients in all kinds of services were the principal parameters in simulation process. The initial results from the sample showed that the number of hospitalized women in all services follows a poisson distribution. Additionally, the estimation of required number of hospital beds in this ward was obtained using simulation study. The introduced methods can easily utilize in other obstetrics wards as well as different hospital units. It seems that postulating poisson distribution for inpatients in other hospital units is a valid assumption. May be it`s preferable to study this method in other hospital units as well.