Open AccessCreating a new index to evaluate imbalance in medical demand and supply when disasters occur
Author(s) -
Takahashi Kohei,
Morimura Naoto,
Takeuchi Ichiro,
Abe Takeru,
Toida Chiaki,
Hattori Jun,
Hattori Kyoko,
Honda Hideki,
Uchiyama Munehito,
Matsuda Kiyoshi,
Nakagawa Yoshihide,
Asari Yasushi
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
acute medicine and surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2052-8817
DOI - 10.1002/ams2.353
Subject(s) - prioritization , supply and demand , resource (disambiguation) , medical emergency , business , index (typography) , operations management , medicine , computer science , economics , computer network , process management , microeconomics , world wide web
Aim This study examines the use of the medical risk/resource ratio ( RRR ) and need for medical resources ( NMR ) as new indicators of the imbalance in medical demand and supply in disasters. These indicators are used to quantify the medical demand–supply imbalance per disaster base hospital, examine the demand–supply imbalance in the region, and verify the need for medical support. Methods We calculated the RRR of each disaster base hospital by dividing the revised estimate of the number of patients with the number of empty beds. We calculated the required number of hospital beds as the NMR to restore the RRR of each disaster base hospital to two. The RRR and NMR were combined, and prioritization for medical support was classified into three levels. Results The median RRR was 23 (range, 1–101), and the median NMR was 943 (range, 0–2,124). Fifteen hospitals had a medical support priority of 1, five hospitals had a priority of 2, and 13 hospitals had a priority of 3. Conclusion The medical demand–supply imbalance and amount of medical support needed can be quantified using RRR and NMR , which allows examination of the priority level for medical support.