Application of a Discrete Event Simulator for Healthcare Processes

Hospitals are currently catching up with other industries to utilize IT tools for optimizing their patient, data and supply flows. The complexity of the processes and the amount of different resources and specialized personnel make a good view on the costs and effects of changes hard to understand. In light of this growing interest in healthcare towards leaner processes and better performance analytics, a process simulator was being developed. A Discrete Event Simulator (DES) allows the monitoring of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) over existing processes and reveals opportunities for optimization. Opportunities to improve existing processes can easily be tested to verify possible gains before an actual implementation. Harmful side effects caused by changing the existing process can thus be measured on beforehand. The context in which the DES was being developed and an overview of the tool by explaining its different phases is provided, as well as an indication on potential further research topics and next developments.