A model for regional obstetric bed planning

Utilization of obstetric beds is often inefficient because of the randomness inherent in the occurrence of births. In an effort to increase efficiency, obstetric units admit certain types of nonobstetric patients when beds are available. However, legal and practical restrictions on such admissions make it difficult to estimate the potential increase in efficiency. A stochastic model was developed to forecast the allocation of nonobstetric patient days to the OB unit and to predict the effect of such allocations on demand for obstetric beds as well as beds in other units of the hospital. The model was tested with data from six hospitals, and its possible use in decisions on the merger of units and decertification of beds was explored.