Methods for analysing patient flow between care settings: a systematic review

To identify and appraise methods used to analyse patient flow across multiple care settings, and to describe how these methods have been applied to address health service research questions.

We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science databases and Google Scholar search engine between 1 January 2013 and 10 June 2026 using a systematic search strategy to identify the relevant literature for this review. Descriptive statistics and narrative synthesis were used to characterise the included papers.

Twenty-four studies met the inclusion criteria. Seven distinct methods and five health service research topics were identified. Most studies employed descriptive statistics and group comparison tests to provide a general description of the system. Discrete event simulation was more frequently used to simulate patient movement between settings. Furthermore, patient transfer volume and outcome, as well as capacity planning, were the most commonly studied health service research topics. This review highlights effective approaches-statistical analysis, mathematical modelling and computer simulation-for studying patient flow across care settings.

Statistical analysis, mathematical modelling and computer simulation offer complementary approaches for analysing patient flow between care settings. Each method has distinct strengths and limitations. Applying more than one method may provide a richer understanding of patient flow. Future research may focus on comprehensive patient flow analysis, particularly in managing chronic conditions and non-communicable diseases in interconnected care settings and organisations.