How can Optimization and Simulation techniques improve Health Care Planning?
Worldwide, the demand for health and social care expenditures is exceeding any economical expectations. It has been reported that public programs cost 25 percent of national health expenditures in 1960 and that it was increased to 45 percent by 2004 (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2006). The projection is that health spending will consume a much larger share of gross domestic product (GDP) and Federal budgets in the next decade (Hartman et al., 2007).
Due to the number of variables involved in the decision making, hospital managers need assessment using optimization and/or simulation tools. For example, long waiting lines tend to be an issue when it comes to healthcare, being the leading cause of patients to withdraw. In this case, simulation is used to evaluate, minimize or even eliminate bottlenecks in this dynamic environment. In order to present a service forecasting, the use of simulation can have impact on making decisions regarding:
- Patient flows
- Hospital short/long term occupancy prediction
- Forecast and evaluation of service
- Number of staff needed for a medical unit
- Shift of medical and nursing staff
- Queues (waiting time)
- Capacity utilization, etc.
Furthermore, optimization offers support to decide on:
- Hospital Layout
- Shift of medical and nursing staff
- Internal hospital flows
- Queues (waiting time)
- Capacity utilization, etc.
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