Teoría de colas aplicada al estudio del sistema de servicio de una farmacia / Queueing theory applied to the study of the service system of a pharmacy

Con frecuencia las instituciones que brindan servicios deben tomar decisiones respecto al caudal de clientes que reciben, así como la capacidad de servicio con que cuentan. Sin embargo, a diario se presenta un fenómeno común y cotidiano: las colas o líneas de espera, las que se generan cuando la demanda excede a la oferta. En este contexto aparece la teoría de colas, la cual no resuelve el problema, pero ofrece información para tomar decisiones, sobre la base de la predicción de algunas características sobre la cola y el sistema de servicio. Un escenario evidente en el sector salud, donde se generan constantemente líneas de espera son las farmacias. En la Farmacia Hospitalaria Principal de Santiago de Cuba, se modeló la venta de medicamentos desde este enfoque, al no contar con otras herramientas que con su aplicación apoyaran la toma de decisiones. Por ello el objetivo del trabajo es determinar desde el enfoque de la teoría de colas, las variables y medidas de rendimiento del sistema de servicio de dicha Farmacia, para la toma de decisiones a corto y mediano plazo, en función de ofrecer un mayor y mejor servicio. Como resultado se determinó que, para el sistema de servicio actual, existe una alta probabilidad de que se generen colas, y que los clientes permanezcan en ella por más de 5 minutos; recomendando garantizar la disponibilidad de los dependientes, reducir el número de clientes en la cola, hacer más amena la estancia en ella, así como valorar y evaluar su rediseño(AU)

Often the institutions that provide services must make decisions regarding the number of clients they receive, as well as the service capacity they have. However, there is a daily and everyday phenomenon: queues or waiting lines, which are generated when demand exceeds supply. In this context, queueing theory appears, which does not solve the problem, but provides information needed to make decisions, based on the prediction of some characteristics about the queue and the service system. A clear context in the health branch, where there are constantly waiting lines are pharmacies. In the Municipal Community Pharmacy of Santiago de Cuba, the sale of medicinal products was modeled from this approach, since there are no other applied tools that support decision making. Therefore, the objective of the work is to determine from the approach of queueing theory, the variables and measures of performance of the service system of the said Pharmacy, for the decision making in the short and medium term, in function of offering a greater and better service. As a result, it was determined that, for the current service system, there is a high probability that queues will be generated, and that customers will stay in it for more than 5 minutes; recommending to guarantee the availability of dependents, reduce the number of clients in the queue, make the stay in it more enjoyable, as well as assess and evaluate its redesign(AU)

Prevalence of burnout among public health nurses in charge of mental health services and emergency care systems in Japan

<p><b>OBJECTIVES</b>The Community Health Act came into effect in 1997 in Japan. This act altered the work system for public health nurses (PHNs) in public health centers (PHCs) nationwide from region-specific to service-specific work. Such major changes to working environment in the new system seem to be exposing PHNs to various types of stress. The present study examined whether prevalence of burnout is higher among PHNs in charge of mental health services (psychiatric PHNs) than among PHNs in charge of other services (non-psychiatric PHNs), and whether attributes of emergency mental health care systems in communities are associated with increased prevalence of burnout.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A questionnaire including the Pines burnout scale for measuring burnout was mailed to 525 psychiatric PHNs and 525 non-psychiatric PHNs. The 785 respondents included in the final analysis comprised 396 psychiatric PHNs and 389 non-psychiatric PHNs.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Prevalence of burnout was significantly higher for psychiatric PHNs (59.2%) than for non-psychiatric PHNs (51.5%). When prevalence of burnout in each group was analyzed in relation to question responses regarding emergency service and patient referral systems, prevalence of burnout for psychiatric PHNs displayed significant correlations to frequency of cases requiring overtime emergency services, difficulties referring patients, and a feeling of "restriction".</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Prevalence of burnout is high among psychiatric PHNs, and inadequate emergency mental health service systems contribute to burnout among these nurses. Countermeasures for preventing such burnout should be taken as soon as possible.</p>

Prevalence of Burnout among Public Health Nurses in Charge of Mental Health Services and Emergency Care Systems in Japan

Objectives: The Community Health Act came into effect in 1997 in Japan. This act altered the work system for public health nurses (PHNs) in public health centers (PHCs) nationwide from region-specific to service-specific work. Such major changes to working environment in the new system seem to be exposing PHNs to various types of stress. The present study examined whether prevalence of burnout is higher among PHNs in charge of mental health services (psychiatric PHNs) than among PHNs in charge of other services (non-psychiatric PHNs), and whether attributes of emergency mental health care systems in communities are associated with increased prevalence of burnout. Methods: A questionnaire including the Pines burnout scale for measuring burnout was mailed to 525 psychiatric PHNs and 525 non-psychiatric PHNs. The 785 respondents included in the final analysis comprised 396 psychiatric PHNs and 389 non-psychiatric PHNs. Results: Prevalence of burnout was significantly higher for psychiatric PHNs (59.2%) than for non-psychiatric PHNs (51.5%). When prevalence of burnout in each group was analyzed in relation to question responses regarding emergency service and patient referral systems, prevalence of burnout for psychiatric PHNs displayed significant correlations to frequency of cases requiring overtime emergency services, difficulties referring patients, and a feeling of “restriction”. Conclusions: Prevalence of burnout is high among psychiatric PHNs, and inadequate emergency mental health service systems contribute to burnout among these nurses. Countermeasures for preventing such burnout should be taken as soon as possible.