Estimate medical laboratory wait time with inputs that match day-to-day medical laboratory operations. The calculator keeps workload, available capacity, and operational assumptions visible, so you can test a baseline and then change one driver at a time. Results are planning estimates: use locally observed rates and apply clinical, labor, safety, and scheduling requirements before making an operational decision.
Total service capacity = active units × service rate per unit
Net queue clearance rate = total service capacity − arrival rate
Queue clearance time = current queue ÷ net clearance rate × 60
The estimate is finite only when service capacity exceeds arrivals.
The result estimates how long the current line takes to clear while arrivals continue at the entered average rate.
Planning estimate only. Validate assumptions against local policy, staffing rules, equipment constraints, case mix, and patient-safety requirements.
Total service capacity is 3 × 7 = 21 patients per hour. After 18 hourly arrivals, the queue shrinks by 3 patients per hour.
5 ÷ 3 × 60 = 100 minutes
No. It estimates time to clear the current queue while average arrivals continue; individual waits depend on queue position and case mix.
That occurs when the arrival rate is equal to or greater than total service capacity, so there is no positive clearance rate.
Yes. If case times vary widely, calculate separate scenarios or use a conservative sustainable service rate.
Include every patient stream that joins the same queue during the measured period.
Increase active service capacity, improve the sustainable service rate, reduce the starting queue, or manage arrivals.
| Input | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Patient arrivals | patients/hour; allowed range 0–10000 |
| Service rate per station | patients/hour; allowed range 0.01–10000 |
| Active stations | stations; allowed range 1–500 |
| Patients currently waiting | patients; allowed range 0–10000 |