Workload and Demand

The true demand for a test wdl depend on the number of patients and the spectrum of disease in each case where the test is appropriate. The appropriateness of the test request is a valuable arbiter in situations in which workload or demand for tests is questioned. A portfolio of evidence helps to define the basis for the appropriate use of tests. When conducting an audit of workload for a test it is possible to ask a number of questions, usually by questionnaire that are directly related to the original generation of the evidence upon which the use of the test should be based (guidelines). These include  

This approach is likely to identify unnecessary use of tests, misunderstandings about the use of tests, and instances of use of the wrong test. With the advent of electronic requesting and the electronic patient record, it is possible to build this approach into a routine practice. 

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Rough-cut capacity planning (RCCP) RCCP process considers only the critical work centres (bottlenecks, highly utilized resources, etc.) and attempts to balance longer-term workloads and demand at high level. 

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