Automatic Diversions in Computer-Aided Dispatch Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Computer-aided dispatch systems face challenges in efficiently managing the status of facilities and vehicles, particularly in determining when a facility should divert or receive vehicles, due to limitations in tracking vehicle and hospital capabilities, proximity, and capacity, leading to suboptimal assignment decisions.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented methodology that uses a centralized database to monitor the status of vehicles and facilities, applying criteria sets to automatically determine if a facility should be in a diverting or receiving status, including considerations of vehicle availability, capacity, and temporal factors, and provides real-time updates to dispatchers through a system that includes a trigger program, automatic diversions module, and mobile server.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a dispatcher manually monitors vehicle status and makes assignment decisions, then flexibility in handling complex criteria is maintained, but response time and efficiency are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables automatic facility status determination by monitoring vehicle status changes and applying criteria sets without requiring dispatcher intervention. The automatic diversions module autonomously evaluates whether facilities should be in receiving or diverting status based on real-time vehicle data, thereby improving response efficiency while maintaining manageable complexity through automated rule-based decision-making.
2Measurement precision
If the system tracks detailed status information for all vehicles and facilities, then assignment accuracy is improved, but information processing load and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-establishes criteria sets that define the conditions under which facilities should be in receiving or diverting status. These criteria sets are configured in advance and include all necessary conditions for status determination. When vehicle status changes occur, the automatic diversions module simply evaluates against the pre-defined criteria rather than requiring complex real-time analysis, thereby maintaining high tracking accuracy while reducing processing complexity.
3Productivity
If the system automatically determines facility status based on vehicle criteria, then assignment optimization is improved, but the complexity of monitoring and evaluating all vehicles increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where vehicle status changes automatically trigger re-evaluation of facility status. When a vehicle's status changes (e.g., from available to en route, or from en route to arrived), the automatic diversions module receives this feedback and重新 evaluates whether facilities should be in receiving or diverting status based on the updated criteria. This continuous feedback loop enables dynamic optimization without requiring complex continuous monitoring, as evaluations are triggered only by relevant status changes.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a computer-implemented methodology for automatically indicating in a computer-aided dispatch system for a plurality of assignable participants, such as emergency vehicles, to be dispatched to one of a plurality of facilities, whether a facility is in a diverting status or a receiving status. A centralized database receives a change in status for a vehicle for use in determining the status of a facility. In response to receiving the change in status for the vehicle, the status information about the vehicle including a current status and a prior status is transmitted to one or more client programs. A client program receives the current status and the prior status of the vehicle and uses the current status and prior status of the vehicle along with a criteria set to determine if any of the plurality of facilities' status should be changed from receiving to diverting or from diverting to receiving.