Requirements for Decision Support Systems for Efficient Hospital Bed Management

About the research project

Hospital systems are complex processes that must deal with unexpected and life-critical demands. Admissions via the emergency department in particular can be challenging to manage efficiently to ensure patients receive appropriate care as quickly as possible. While various systems exist to assist bed managers in allocating admitted patients to wards within the hospital, many are highly manual, comprising both electronic and paper-based recordkeeping systems, and rely heavily on bed manager expertise and intuition to find a suitable place for a patient given available physical beds and staff. Although there has been recent progress in modelling and prediction techniques that could assist bed managers in these tasks, there exist barriers to adoption.

As part of the Designs for a Better Patient Journey Project, this PhD project will explore the needs of hospital decision makers, as well as the lived experience of patients, to determine what software-generated recommendations they require, how they should be presented/visualised, and what interactions decision makers should be afforded. It will bridge the gap between mathematical modelling and prediction techniques and end users through semi-structured interviews and the development and evaluation of increasingly sophisticated prototype software. The work will be a collaboration between the University of Tasmania and Tasmanian Health Service, contributing to improvements in patient care locally while generating transferable knowledge that can be applied elsewhere in the world.

Primary supervisor

Meet Doctor James Montgomery

Funding

Applicants will be considered for a Research Training Program (RTP) scholarship or Tasmania Graduate Research Scholarship (TGRS) which, if successful, provides:

• a living allowance stipend funded by University of Tasmania of $34,315 per annum for 3.5 years
• a relocation allowance of up to $2,000
• a tuition fees offset covering the cost of tuition fees for up to four years (domestic applicants only)

A tuition fee offset may be offered to eligible international applicants following competitive assessment 

As part of the application process you may indicate if you do not wish to be considered for scholarship funding.

Other funding opportunities and fees

For further information regarding other scholarships on offer, and the various fees for undertaking a research degree, please visit our Scholarships and fees on research degrees page.

Eligibility

Applicants should review the Higher Degree by Research minimum entry requirements.

Ensure your eligibility for the scholarship round by referring to our Key Dates.

Selection criteria

The project is competitively assessed and awarded. Selection is based on academic merit and suitability to the project as determined by the College.

Additional essential selection criteria specific to this project:

• Basic software development skills, as some prototypes will contain functioning modelling and prediction tools developed by the broader project team
• Qualitative research experience

Additional desirable selection criteria specific to this project:

• Strong software development skills
• Mathematical modelling experience (to understand the decision support tools being presented to users)

Application process

1. Select your project, and check that you meet the eligibility and selection criteria, including citizenship;
2. Contact Doctor James Montgomery to discuss your suitability and the project's requirements; and
3. In your application:
   • Copy and paste the title of the project from this advertisement into your application. If you don’t correctly do this your application may be rejected.
   • Submit a signed supervisory support form, a CV including contact details of 2 referees and your project research proposal.
4. Apply prior to 1 October 2026.

Full details of the application process can be found under the ' How to apply ' section of the Research Degrees website.

Following the closing date applications will be assessed within the College. Applicants should expect to receive notification of the outcome by email by the advertised outcome date.

Apply nowExplore other projects