Models as instruments for optimizing hospital processes: a systematic review.

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to find decision-making models for the design and control of processes regarding patient flows, considering various problem types, and to find out how usable these models are for managerial decision making.

Design/methodology/approach: A systematic review of the literature was carried out. Relevant literature from three databases was selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria and the results were analyzed.

['Advanced triage' improves patient flow in the emergency department without affecting the quality of care].

Objective: To investigate whether 'advanced triage' improved patient flow among self-referred patients in the emergency department of a level 1 trauma centre and, most importantly, whether the quality of medical care was maintained. In advanced triage, the triage nurse initiates additional diagnostic investigations independently.

Design: Interventional study.