Matching capacity and demand by making minor adjustments in the availability of health care providers or the scheduling of elective surgeries is often sufficient to reduce delays. If the demand for care is greater than the capacity of the system, there will be a delay in providing care. If the capacity is greater than demand, then resources are being wasted. When capacity and demand are matched, delays in care are reduced. Whenever a quantitative analysis indicates that the system has the capacity to meet the demand during normal functioning, then specific change concepts can be implemented relatively quickly to help align capacity and demand during predicted or unpredicted periods of high demand.

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