Using Discrete-Event Simulation to Balance Staff Allocation and Patient Flow between Clinic and Surgery
We consider the problem of system-level balanced scheduling in a pediatric hospital setting. A hospital clinic has a queue for patients needing care. After being seen in clinic, many require follow-up surgery, for which they also wait in a queue. The rate-limiting factor is physician availability fo...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Modelling |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-3951/4/4/32 |
| _version_ | 1797379953596039168 |
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| author | John J. Forbus Daniel Berleant |
| author_facet | John J. Forbus Daniel Berleant |
| author_sort | John J. Forbus |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We consider the problem of system-level balanced scheduling in a pediatric hospital setting. A hospital clinic has a queue for patients needing care. After being seen in clinic, many require follow-up surgery, for which they also wait in a queue. The rate-limiting factor is physician availability for both clinic visits and surgical cases. Although much existing work has been done to optimize clinic appointments, as well as to optimize surgical appointments, this novel approach models the entire patient journey at the system level, through both clinic and surgery, to optimize the total patient experience. A discrete-event simulation model of the system was built based on historic patient encounter data and validated. The system model was then optimized to determine the best allocation of physician resources across the system to minimize total patient wait time using machine learning. The results were then compared to baseline. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T20:31:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f6e02070d9324ae5805c4d1b4ab36b5c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-3951 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T20:31:28Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Modelling |
| spelling | doaj.art-f6e02070d9324ae5805c4d1b4ab36b5c2023-12-22T14:26:59ZengMDPI AGModelling2673-39512023-11-014456758410.3390/modelling4040032Using Discrete-Event Simulation to Balance Staff Allocation and Patient Flow between Clinic and SurgeryJohn J. Forbus0Daniel Berleant1Department of Systems Engineering, University of Arkansas, Little Rock, AR 72204, USADepartment of Systems Engineering, University of Arkansas, Little Rock, AR 72204, USAWe consider the problem of system-level balanced scheduling in a pediatric hospital setting. A hospital clinic has a queue for patients needing care. After being seen in clinic, many require follow-up surgery, for which they also wait in a queue. The rate-limiting factor is physician availability for both clinic visits and surgical cases. Although much existing work has been done to optimize clinic appointments, as well as to optimize surgical appointments, this novel approach models the entire patient journey at the system level, through both clinic and surgery, to optimize the total patient experience. A discrete-event simulation model of the system was built based on historic patient encounter data and validated. The system model was then optimized to determine the best allocation of physician resources across the system to minimize total patient wait time using machine learning. The results were then compared to baseline.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-3951/4/4/32discrete event simulationhealthcaresystems engineering |
| spellingShingle | John J. Forbus Daniel Berleant Using Discrete-Event Simulation to Balance Staff Allocation and Patient Flow between Clinic and Surgery Modelling discrete event simulation healthcare systems engineering |
| title | Using Discrete-Event Simulation to Balance Staff Allocation and Patient Flow between Clinic and Surgery |
| title_full | Using Discrete-Event Simulation to Balance Staff Allocation and Patient Flow between Clinic and Surgery |
| title_fullStr | Using Discrete-Event Simulation to Balance Staff Allocation and Patient Flow between Clinic and Surgery |
| title_full_unstemmed | Using Discrete-Event Simulation to Balance Staff Allocation and Patient Flow between Clinic and Surgery |
| title_short | Using Discrete-Event Simulation to Balance Staff Allocation and Patient Flow between Clinic and Surgery |
| title_sort | using discrete event simulation to balance staff allocation and patient flow between clinic and surgery |
| topic | discrete event simulation healthcare systems engineering |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-3951/4/4/32 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT johnjforbus usingdiscreteeventsimulationtobalancestaffallocationandpatientflowbetweenclinicandsurgery AT danielberleant usingdiscreteeventsimulationtobalancestaffallocationandpatientflowbetweenclinicandsurgery |