Development of a cost-optimization model to reduce bottlenecks : a health service case study

With the increasing use of emergency departments, many public hospitals experience bottlenecks that hinder patient flow within the health system. Mitigating bottlenecks can enhance workflow efficiency and reduce patient wait‐time. Yet given the complexity of health services, current techniques have a limited capacity to address this issue. This article introduces an innovative generic cost‐optimization model based on genetic algorithm to alleviate bottlenecks without the need for complex mathematical analysis. A case study is presented to validate its feasibility, demonstrating an evidence‐based, pragmatic way to alleviate bottlenecks that practitioners can readily implement.