Patientdensitet

Patientdensitet refers to the concentration of patients within a healthcare setting, typically measured as the number of patients relative to available resources over a defined period. Common expressions include patients per bed (occupancy-related), patients per nurse or other caregiver, and patients per unit area (for example per square meter). The metric can be calculated for a ward, unit, hospital, or system level using data from patient admissions, bed status, staffing rosters, and space inventories. Reporting may use time windows such as per shift, per day, or per hour to track short-term fluctuations and longer-term trends.

Practical use of patientdensitet includes informing capacity planning, staffing decisions, and surge readiness. High density can indicate strained resources and longer wait times, while very low density may reflect underutilization. The metric is often paired with acuity measures, length of stay, and throughput indicators to avoid misinterpretation. It is also used in hospital workflow analyses to identify bottlenecks and to optimize patient flow.

Limitations and interpretation require caution. Patientdensitet by itself does not capture patient acuity, complexity, or care needs. It can be affected by non-clinical factors such as discharge delays, bed management processes, or physical space constraints. For meaningful interpretation, density data should be adjusted for case mix and integrated with other performance indicators, such as occupancy rate, nurse-to-patient ratio, and throughput metrics.

Related metrics include occupancy rate, bed utilization, and patient flow indicators. In practice, density thresholds are considered alongside safety and quality targets to manage crowding and maintain care standards.