Table 6 Comparison of the methods’ advantages and challenges

Investigates hospital conditions

*

Easy estimation

*

*

*

*

Highly flexible

*

Accounts for changes in the average length of stay

*

Accounts for factors affecting the average length of stay

*

Estimates bed requirements by clinical specialties

*

*

*

*

*

Requires little time

*

Does not consider factors affecting the demand for hospital care

*

*

*

*

*

Does not consider factors affecting the supply of hospital care

*

*

*

*

*

Requires accurate and comprehensive data

*

*

Time-consuming and costly

*

Does not account for the dynamics of certain key parameters, like demographic changes and patterns of hospital service utilization

*

*

*

*

*

Low accuracy

*

*