Modeling workflows: Identifying the most predictive features in healthcare operational processes.

Limited resources and increased patient flow highlight the importance of optimizing healthcare operational systems to improve patient care. Accurate prediction of exam volumes, workflow surges and, most notably, patient delay and wait times are known to have significant impact on quality of care and...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Colm Crowley, Steven Guitron, Joseph Son, Oleg S Pianykh
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2020-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0233810
_version_ 1818734206961844224
author Colm Crowley
Steven Guitron
Joseph Son
Oleg S Pianykh
author_facet Colm Crowley
Steven Guitron
Joseph Son
Oleg S Pianykh
author_sort Colm Crowley
collection DOAJ
description Limited resources and increased patient flow highlight the importance of optimizing healthcare operational systems to improve patient care. Accurate prediction of exam volumes, workflow surges and, most notably, patient delay and wait times are known to have significant impact on quality of care and patient satisfaction. The main objective of this work was to investigate the choice of different operational features to achieve (1) more accurate and concise process models and (2) more effective interventions. To exclude process modelling bias, data from four different workflows was considered, including a mix of walk-in, scheduled, and hybrid facilities. A total of 84 features were computed, based on previous literature and our independent work, all derivable from a typical Hospital Information System. The features were categorized by five subgroups: congestion, customer, resource, task and time features. Two models were used in the feature selection process: linear regression and random forest. Independent of workflow and the model used for selection, it was determined that congestion feature sets lead to models most predictive for operational processes, with a smaller number of predictors.
first_indexed 2024-12-18T00:01:41Z
format Article
id doaj.art-2569e75693cb433bb923eb0ac034af70
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1932-6203
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-18T00:01:41Z
publishDate 2020-01-01
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
record_format Article
series PLoS ONE
spelling doaj.art-2569e75693cb433bb923eb0ac034af702022-12-21T21:27:55ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032020-01-01156e023381010.1371/journal.pone.0233810Modeling workflows: Identifying the most predictive features in healthcare operational processes.Colm CrowleySteven GuitronJoseph SonOleg S PianykhLimited resources and increased patient flow highlight the importance of optimizing healthcare operational systems to improve patient care. Accurate prediction of exam volumes, workflow surges and, most notably, patient delay and wait times are known to have significant impact on quality of care and patient satisfaction. The main objective of this work was to investigate the choice of different operational features to achieve (1) more accurate and concise process models and (2) more effective interventions. To exclude process modelling bias, data from four different workflows was considered, including a mix of walk-in, scheduled, and hybrid facilities. A total of 84 features were computed, based on previous literature and our independent work, all derivable from a typical Hospital Information System. The features were categorized by five subgroups: congestion, customer, resource, task and time features. Two models were used in the feature selection process: linear regression and random forest. Independent of workflow and the model used for selection, it was determined that congestion feature sets lead to models most predictive for operational processes, with a smaller number of predictors.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0233810
spellingShingle Colm Crowley
Steven Guitron
Joseph Son
Oleg S Pianykh
Modeling workflows: Identifying the most predictive features in healthcare operational processes.
PLoS ONE
title Modeling workflows: Identifying the most predictive features in healthcare operational processes.
title_full Modeling workflows: Identifying the most predictive features in healthcare operational processes.
title_fullStr Modeling workflows: Identifying the most predictive features in healthcare operational processes.
title_full_unstemmed Modeling workflows: Identifying the most predictive features in healthcare operational processes.
title_short Modeling workflows: Identifying the most predictive features in healthcare operational processes.
title_sort modeling workflows identifying the most predictive features in healthcare operational processes
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0233810
work_keys_str_mv AT colmcrowley modelingworkflowsidentifyingthemostpredictivefeaturesinhealthcareoperationalprocesses
AT stevenguitron modelingworkflowsidentifyingthemostpredictivefeaturesinhealthcareoperationalprocesses
AT josephson modelingworkflowsidentifyingthemostpredictivefeaturesinhealthcareoperationalprocesses
AT olegspianykh modelingworkflowsidentifyingthemostpredictivefeaturesinhealthcareoperationalprocesses