A model for certification of need for long-term-care beds

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Healthcare Management
• Health Economics

Background:

• Healthcare resource allocation, particularly for hospital beds, is complex.
• Effective screening processes are crucial for matching patient needs with available services.
• Traditional cost-minimization approaches may not fully optimize facility utilization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and present a model for assessing healthcare bed needs.
• To analyze the relationship between bed supply, utilization, and patient need.
• To contrast cost-minimization with service-delivery approaches to facility use.

Main Methods:

• Developed a model linking bed supply, utilization, and need for service.
• Incorporated the quality of the screening process into the model.
• Applied the model to skilled nursing facility data from Massachusetts.
• Estimated screening quality using Monte Carlo methods.

Main Results:

• The model quantifies screening quality, utilization sensitivity, and specificity.
• Identified a positive association between patient need and bed supply.
• Demonstrated that regional variations in skilled nursing beds may reflect actual patient needs.

Conclusions:

• The developed model can be effectively used for healthcare needs assessment.
• The service-delivery approach may enhance appropriate facility use.
• Regional bed supply in Massachusetts appears to correlate with patient demand.